Frozen V: Fire and Ice
by Batman1809
Summary: A man with the power of fire is on the run from Weselton, and seeks refuge in Arendelle. But when his past catches up to him, Elsa must find out how to save one of her own as the Duke goes after Arendelle to rid the world of magic once and for all.
1. Father and Son

**I'm back! It wasn't as long as I thought, planning this out, turns out waiting five hours for your car (batmobile) to get fixed can really jumpstart creativity! so here I am, earlier than expected, with the next instalment of my Frozen series. **

**This will not be following the prophecy storyline I set up in the last story, minus the occasional hint here and there, but this will be help explore Elsa as she works on sorting out her emotions, and Anna as she and Kristoff figure out parenthood with Mathew. **

**So, without Further ado…**

**Frozen 5**

**Ice and Fire**

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Father and Son

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><p>It was midnight in Mustaville, a small town coastal town on the outskirts of the country of Weselton, and it was quiet. The only sounds to be heard were from the occasional rat scurrying down the alleyways or the meowing of a stray cat. But something else was amiss; a lone man, dressed in a hooded jacket, rugged leather pants and light boots, was moving amongst the rooftops, silent as a fox. His face was obscured by both the darkness and the hood, leaving his identity obscured.<p>

As he reached the roof his target was hiding in, he drew a knife from under his coat. He swung down from the ledge of the roof top, hanging from his feet as he used the knife to unlatch the window. In an effortless flip, he leapt down into the room, making no noises. Seeing the bed before him, he snuck up quietly. While his target was asleep, he was cautious, as this was his third attempt on his life, and he did not want to fail a fourth time; it would look bad for his reputation. Swiftly and without regret, he stabbed into the mass beneath the blankets. Feeling no resistant of a body, he pulled the blankets of in panic, seeing nothing but pillows.

What his didn't know was that his target, a man, heard the faint footsteps on the ceiling of the room he rented. He had become accustomed to his enemy's tactics and took precautions, preferring not to sleep at night. Sensing the imminent danger, he grabbed his bag, which was always packed, ready to go, and his son, a young boy of twelve.

By the time the assassin had discovered his deception, he and his son was already out the front door of the building, making a break for it down the alley ways.

"Quickly Lukas!" exclaimed Lionel, the boy's father, as he hurried his son away. "We don't have much time!"

Lukas, who was strong for his age, hurried along as he adjusted his bag strap over his shoulder.

"Where is he?" he asked fearfully.

"I don't know, but it won't be long before he's realized his mistake. Come on!"

"But where will we go? Our ship won't leave till morning."

Leaning against one of the buildings, Lionel, a red headed man in his mid thirties looked around the corner of the alleyway, seeing if the coast was clear. "We'll have to hide out on the ship till morning; Out wait him."

The boy nodded. "Then what?" The young blond was trembling, looking over his shoulder every two seconds, wondering when the psychopath chasing them would catch up.

"Then, it will be better. I promise son. The Duke cannot reach us in Arendelle."

He heard faint foot-steps behind them in the alley. Immediately, the father pulled his son behind him. "Come son, we must hurry!"

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><p>Lionel and Lukas rushed through the alleys of Mustaville, careful to remain quiet. But Lionel would continue to hear the assassin's footsteps behind them. He knew they were being followed. He was probably tailing them to the ship, hoping to wait till Lionel he trapped he and his son on the ship. Lionel had only one option to save himself and his son.<p>

Nearing the shipyards, Lionel pulled his son aside.

"Son, listen to me. You must…" he took a deep breath, for this wasn't an easy thing to put his son through. "… You must go to the ship without me."

"What?! No! I'm not going without you!"

"Lukas, listen to me. He's following _me_. I'm the one he wants. I'll lead him away and loose him then. That'll give you time to escape. Get to that ship and go to Arendelle."

"But what about you? I need you Pa!"

Lionel kneeled down, holding his son by the shoulders so as to make eye contact. "I'll find you there, I promise."

"Please don't leave me Pa… I'm scared" he said, his voice cracking from the tears welling up.

"Listen, you are more capable than you realize. You can take care of yourself. I believe in you."

The boy sniffled. "You mean that?"

Lionel pulled his son close, giving him one last hug goodbye. "I know you are. Now go, before he suspects something." He stood up, and made his way down another alley. "I love you."

"I love you too Pa" he said quietly as his father took off, leaving him to take the journey to Arendelle by himself.

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><p>Lionel, without having to worry about his son keeping up, moved swiftly through the buildings. The guilt of leaving his young son to himself ached at his chest, but he kept reminding himself that this was for the better. With the assassin following him, Lukas was free to escape, far from Weselton's reaches.<p>

Hearing the faint footsteps behind him once more, he sighed in relief knowing that the assassin took the bait. After ensuring that he was far away from the shipyards, he slowed down. Hours had passed, and morning was no less than an hour away, but the city was still fast asleep. He walked out of the alleys into a quiet square. Only warehouses and factories stood here, so witnesses would be few. He finally stopped in the center of the square.

"Come out and face me you coward!" he called out to the darkness, knowing he was there.

Moments passed without a noise. The silence began to unsettled Lionel.

Then, he appeared. The cloaked assassin walked out from the shadows, quiet as a cat. He spoke no words as he walked to Lionel, who held his ground.

"Come no closer, turn around and leave!" Lionel commanded. "Tell the Duke I'm leaving Weselton, never to return."

The assassin drew a sword from under his cloak. He stepped towards Lionel cautiously, stepping lightly. He began to circle Lionel, taking his time.

Lionel nodded. "Have it your way." A moment later, Lionel's hands glowed with a red aurora, glimmers of red magic showing the through the glow. He shot his hand forward, knowing any warning's he mustered would fall on deaf ears. A stream of magic and red lights shot out of his right hand, beaming right towards the Assassin. He jumped out of the way at the last second, just as an explosion of fire blasted out of where the magic hit. After the initial explosion, the fire formed a pillar of fire. It wasn't flickering wild as fire should, but appeared almost 'tame', moving slowly, staying in its place.

Acting quickly, the assassin threw a double bladed throwing knife at Lionel. Immediately, Lionel shot a beam of magic at it, both hitting it and melting it in midair, causing it to melt into molten metal. Now under his control, Lionel forced the searing hot metal to the ground, forming a puddle of liquid metal. Knowing more knives where to follow, Lionel swung his hand from one side to the next. From seemingly out of nowhere, a wall of fire formed right to left. The flames didn't flicker out, but rather formed flatted flares, blocking the next two knives the assassin threw, sending sparks as each blade made contact, knocking them down to the ground.

The Assassin stared as Lionel was seemingly engulfed in flames. But he knew better than to believe his own flames would harm him.

The Assassin thought to himself briefly. This is why he left his son. He wouldn't risk his son being around with all this fire going around. And he couldn't risk him following both of them till they were trapped, where Lionel would have to focus both on fighting him and protecting his son.

The Assassin waited long enough. Pulling his cloak around him, he ran into the fire. Leaping up and through it, he just barely managed to clear the flames, landing just to Lionel's right. He swung his sword at Lionel's neck, but Lionel met it with a stream of fire magic emanating from his hand, forming a blade of pure fire, a weapon only Lionel could hold. The assassin pushed harder against the flame sword, hoping it would break. To his surprise, the flame was surprisingly solid of being made up of massless energy. It consisted of hundreds of tiny, blue/red flames, giving it an almost solid look to it, if not for the constantly phasing color of flames.

Lionel pushed him away. The assassin returned with a few quick slashes of his sword. The metal sword was becoming hot with the constant contact with the blade of fire, but Lionel's fencing skills was lacking, as the Assassin was moving too quick for Lionel to keep up. After a few quick side blows, the Assassin swung over Lionel's head. Out of instinct, Lionel formed a second fire blade, crossing the two and catching the Assassin's blade just before it hit him. The Assasin pushed hard, as Lionel wasn't as strong or skilled as he was. But the heat of the blades finally reached the handle, burning the sword in his hands. Hissing in pain, he dropped his sword and stepped back. Seeing his opportunity, Lionel shot his hands forward, making a circular wall of fire around the Assassin. The Assassin held his arm up, blocking the heat from his face. Smoke surrounded him, snuffing out the air. He coughed hoarsely as he tried to catch his breath, but the smoke grew thicker. He held his cloak close to his mouth, but the magic smoke was too much. He held his breath, hoping the smoke would die out, but it was relentless. Finally, he succumbed to his need for oxygen and collapsed.

Outside the wall of flame, Lionel swung his hands to the side. All around, the fire and smoke vanished, as if it never existed. Lionel looked down at the unconscious Assassin, realizing that he wasn't going to get up any time soon.

Relieved, Lionel didn't waste any time in running back to the ship yards, hoping to reach his son before the ship left.

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><p>By the time he reached the docks, the sun had already risen and he shipyards were already bustling with activity. When he made it to the dock the cargo ship was docked at, it was too late. The ship was already barely noticeable on the horizon as it sailed north towards Scandinavian lands. Lionel silently cursed himself, knowing his son was far way; safe, but far.<p>

Immediately, he turned, grabbed his bag, and walked down the ship yard, hoping to stowaway on a ship headed for Arendelle.

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><p><strong>Well, that's a start! Hope you like it! Lionel went through some major character changes based on what he started out as, and I'm really excited about the final result. <strong>

**I was hesitant about putting a character with fire powers, as one; that was the first thing hundreds of people (friends included) thought of when asked about a sequel, so many stories have already been written about it. And second, it reminded me too much like ripping off Zuko from the Last Airbender (fire powered prince/king with emotional issues, ice powed princess/queen, seeing any similarities?). **

**But, this story came to me and it was just too interesting to ignore. I tried to make the fire magic act differently from most characters with such abilities, like the fire itself having different, more "tame" qualities compared to normal fire, and the fire swords... yes, I was think of lightsabers when I wrote them... What can I say? I'm a fanboy of multiple movies!**

** And so, we have Lionel, a father who is on the run from Weselton. If anyone has any suggestions as how to make Lionels powers unigue from other such characters, please let me know.**

**School's starting again soon, so please don't write reviews asking to hurry up with the next chapter, as it will take time. I realize it's still to early to make an assessment, but first impressions are always welcome.**

**Well, on to the next chapter!**

**-Batman**


	2. A Quiet Evening

Chapter 2

A Quiet Evening

**OK, now we go back to everyone's favorite characters from a certain global phenomena!**

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><p>(Arendelle)<p>

It was sunset, and Anna was walking around the castle stealthily, trying to avoid making noise. She was looking around, as if looking for something. She searhced left and right, under chairs and behind curtains. She was diligently searching for someone who was purposefully trying to evade her.

"Hmm, I wonder where he could be?" she asked playfully, trying to get a response. Hearing the faintest giggle, Anna shifted her eyes to one of the sets of armor standing against the wall.

"Oh, Matthew, Matthew, Matthew" she said in mock disappointment, shaking her head as she walked slowly to the armor. "You see, the key to hide and seek is silence..." she moved her hand to one of the helmets. "And creativity when picking a hiding spot, and you my dear offspring, have chosen the most There he… huh?" she lifted the helmet's face mask to surprise Mathew, but to her surprise, he wasn't there. "Matty? Hello?" she asked, sticking her head into the suit. "Are you in here?" she asked, he voice echoing through the hollow armor.

Beneath her, Mathew was hiding behind one of the legs of the armor, successfully fooling his mother. Unable to contain his laughter, he ran out.

"Can't catch me mo-momma!" he cried as he ran, laughing. Moving her head out with a quick motion, Anna tried to get her head out, only to get the helmet stuck on her head as she yanked it off the armor. Disoriented, Anna accidently pulled the armor down, sending it falling to pieces across the floor, making a commotion of sound.

"What the, where am... yahh!" she screamed as she fell on her butt. Matthew hung around, watching as some of the pieces of armor slid across the floor. Finally, Anna got the helmet off, seeing what she just did. "Oops" she said, cringing her teeth, hoping no one would notice.

Nothing. For a moment, they thought they had gotten away with it.

"What was that?!" called Elsa from down the hall.

"Nothing!" they said in unison.

Anna turned to her three year old son. "You didn't see anything, run!" Anna said, quickly running away.

"But Papa said to alw-ways tell the tru- truth" he asked with a light stutter.

"I'll give you cookies" Anna said, bribing him.

"Deal!" he said almost immediately, running after her.

By the time Elsa made it to the room, Anna and her little accomplice were long gone. String at the mess for a moment, Elsa couldn't help but smile, shaking her head. "Oh, those two. I'll make them clean it up later."

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><p>Anna and Mathew raided the cookie stash in the kitchen, sitting at the counter and enjoying it. Kristoff was up in the mountains collecting ice and was expected to be home soon, meaning for now, they could pig reached up in the cabinet and pulled down a small metal container of chocolate chip cookies. Mathew preferred the cookies to pure chocolate, enjoying the crunchy cookies to the fudgy chocolate pieces.<p>

"Where we go Matty!" she said cheerfully, bringing down the metal bin. "For an excellent game of hide and seek!"

"Yay!" he exclaimed, diving into the cookie bin and munching them down.

"Woah!" said Anna. "Easy on the sugar! Trust me, too much at one time is bad for the tummy"

"Sorry Momma" he said, his mouth full of crumbs. "Th-th- they're ju-just so t-t-tas…" Mathew stuttered the last word, struggling to finish.

Anna immediately leant down to his level, gently patting him on the back. "Easy there, don't rush, take your time" she said worryingly.

Mathew took a breath. "T-tasty" he finished. Content with finishing his sentence, he dove back into the cookies. Initially worried, Anna smiled as he covered his face in crumbs, reminding her of herself at his age.

Once Mathew was able to speak sentences, Anna and Kristoff became worried when he began stuttering his words. It was a rough few months after his stuttering became worse, and Anna grew bitter when she couldn't find a solution to it. It wasn't until Kristoff intervened and helped her to accept there son's condition did she finally return to her old self.

Back in the kitchen, Anna was contemplating these things while munching on a cookie. The guilt for how she treated her family during this time would sometimes surface in her thoughts, especially Elsa. But it was their forgiveness that would always bring her peace of mind.

**(This backstory is covered in much more detail in my One-shot, "A Mother's Love")**

"There you two are" said Elsa walking into the kitchen, breaking Anna from her thoughts.

"It was M-Momma's idea Aunt Elsa!" exclaimed Mathew, knowing the rules about eating sweets this late.

Anna playfully scoffed at Mathew. "Traitor!"

Elsa just laughed. "Don't worry, little one. No harm done… though I see you're eating cookies after dark…"

"Momma s-said I could!"

"Hey, you may be queen, but I'm still "Mom", so, you can't say anything" defended Anna.

Elsa shrugged. "Well, can't argue with that logic."

"So I-I can still eat the-these?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, I think you've had enough" said Anna. "Come, it's time to take a bath and go to bed."

"Aw, but, Ma…"

"No buts, come on, go up-stairs and I'll be right there."

"(Sigh) OK. G-night Aunt Els-a."

"Goodnight sweetie" she said, scuffing his head as he walked by, heading to the bathroom to wait for Anna. When he was gone, Elsa looked to Anna. "How was he today?"

"Oh, he was great!" said Anna cheerfully, cleaning up after Mathews cookie fest. "I didn't have much to do today, and it was raining, so we just played hide and seek most of the day."

Elsa nodded, helping Anna clean up. "Wish I could have joined you, haven't had an excuse to play that in a while."

"Oh, then we'll have to make time. We still have..." Anna counted on her fingers, "seven years of lost childhood to make up."

"Anna, we're adults, and I don't want to take time form your family."

"OK, first of all, we both know I don't meet the minimal requirements for being an adult... minus the, wife and mom stuff. Secondly, you're still my sister, so you're still in my family. So I don't you dare think you're intruding, got it?"

Elsa sighed, smiling at her sister's logic. "Got it."

"Good... Say, how was that day long meeting anyway? Boring?"

"Oh, yeah, same old same old. Politics, trade… oh, we received a letter from Kira in Berglia; Gideon's getting married!"

"Oh really? To who?"

"A noblewoman from Clydesdale. We've been invited to attend in three months."

"That's great! Good for him!" Anna said, struggling to push the cookie container back onto the top shelf. "How's Kira?"

"She said that she was doing great. Nightmares every now and then, but otherwise good."

"Ugh, I know how that feels."

"Yep" said Elsa in a low tone.

Finally, Anna finished cleaning up the kitchen. "Well, done. Phew. Remember when we were the ones causing a mess in here?"

Elsa smiled at the memory. Before the accident, Elsa and Anna would always sneak in here to get at the chocolate, often making a mess.

"Yeah, and now you're cleaning up after the next generation."

Anna shrugs. "Life's funny like that!"

"Yep... Well, I shouldn't be keeping you from Matty's bath time."

"Oh, right! I better hurry before he get's soap in his eyes... you know, again."

Before Elsa could even say goodnight, Anna was off. Elsa sat there to herself for a moment before she went to bed. It has been over three years since anything crazy happened... at least involving magic and global chaos, and she was at ease.

That was, minus one thing... Jase.

They had been friends for three years now, and Elsa was still unsure of herself, now more than ever. There was a time when they were more than friends, but after he had tried to propose to her, she couldn't bring herself to accept, that is, if she even gave him the chance to propose in the first place. They had agreed to stay friends, until Elsa both felt ready for the commitment and had a few more years experience as queen.

Now, Elsa was more than experienced as queen. Arendelle has gone through the motions of trials a ruler could hope to go through: Famines, disease, threats from other countries, even political scandal (Councilman Daniel, as a result, is both off the council and serving a five year sentence for stealing from the treasury). She has proven herself to both accomplished, and competent. Some on the council even consider her to be one of Arendelle's greatest rulers.

But she still felt a flutter in her stomach when she thought of Jase. Deep down, she still loved him, just as much as she did when they were together. But to marry him, that was something she felt unease about. How does one give oneself to someone else? Why was it so hard for her. It was times like these she felt jealous of Anna's positive outlook on life, to not be hindered by such fears and worries.

Elsa simply left the kitchen to bed, not wanting to deal with these thoughts right now. As she did so, she passed the bathroom, hearing Anna scream as Matthew splashed her during his bath. She paused, listening as Ana tried to control her son. Then, Mathew came running out, laughing hysterically as he ran down the halls, naked. Quickly following, Anna burst out, looking ridiculous as she was covered in water and bubbles.

"Matthew Craig Bjorgman! You get your butt back here this instant!" she shouted. Matthew didn't listen, running past Elsa. Anna quickly ran after him. "Why didn't you catch him?" she asked Elsa.

"Hey, I may be queen, but you're still his mom, so I can't say anything" Elsa said mockingly, a mischievous smile on her face.

Anna raised her finger to say something, but decided to chase her son instead. "Oh, never mind, I have a wild boy to capture!" she said as she ran after her son.

Elsa stood back and watched. Was she ready for _this_? For chasing children through the castle? She still wasn't sure. Boy did she wish she had Anna's mentality.

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><p><strong>Man, I hate it when I think I've written so much, only to find out it's less than 2,000 words. <strong>

**Thanks to all who have already reviewed and favorite thus far.**

**jj12: Interesting concept about Lionel being emotionally detached when using his powers. I'll have to play around with that.**

**Well, see you all next chapter.**

**-Batman**


	3. In the Heat of the Moment

Chapter 3

In the Heat of the Moment

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><p>It took him nearly all off the next day, but Lionel was finally able to get ship to one of Arendelle's coastal towns; not Arendelle's capital like he hoped, but at least he would be able to get to the there by any other means than by sea. Sneaking on board, he hid in the cargo hold. It took him two days before he finally landed in the country of Arendelle. Landing in the small port town of Summerset, Lionel snuck off board, hoping to find some sort of transportation. It wasn't long before he overheard a carriage rider talking to some foremen, claiming to be headed to the capital, carrying a load of wool.<p>

"Escuse me sir" he asked the rider. "Are you heading to Arendelle?"

"Yes, taking this wool to the capital."

"Is it possible I can ride with you?"

Handing his documents over to the foreman, he turned to Lionel. "What's your business?"

"I was separated from my son, I have reason to believe he ended up in Arendelle" he said, which was technically not a lie.

"Alright. I hate traveling alone anyway."

Relieved, he hopped in the passenger seat, and was on his way to Arendelle, to find his son, and hopefully, finally find peace.

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><p>The next day, after breakfast, Elsa walked through the courtyard on her way to the stables. She had to meet Jase regarding some business, and he was usually tending his horse this time of the day. She walked into the stables, finding Jase strapping Cliff's halter on before taking him out to pasture.<p>

"Good morning" she greeted.

Turning his head briefly, he nodded. "Good morning. What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just needed to speak with you about a letter I received from Hordaland, something about them needing a representative regarding a border dispute with Gilda land, and they have asked for a witness from each of their neighboring countries."

Jase smiled, leading Cliff out through the back door to the pastures. "And I take it you're looking for someone to send?"

Elsa smiled sheepishly. "Could you go, please? I hear there are some great trout streams on those borders." Elsa followed Jase out as he walked to the paddock area just outside the gardens. It was small, closed in by the castle walls, but enough room for a horse to run in circles and stretch his legs.

"Ah, you're using my fishing obsession against me!" he said dramatically. He unhooked Cliff from his halter and let him run free. "That's a low blow!"

"Well, it was that, or I could just order you too go."

"Well, that doesn't really leave me much of a choice, does it?"

"Not really, but I wanted to try the friendly way first."

Jase took a second to respond. "Ugh... fine. I'll go."

"Thank you Jase. You're the best."

"Don't have to remind me."

For a moment, they both paused, watching Cliff as he ran about happily in the morning light.

"How are things?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Huh?" she asked, lost in her thoughts. "Oh, uh, fine. Great, actually."

"Well, that's good."

"And you?"

"Me, hmm, well, not much to say. Mom is well, Isaac's... Isaac. Though my job's been boring; haven't fought anyone in a while."

"Well, I bet it beats guarding a hundred year old evil Ice sorcerer, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He was quiet for a few moments, before a mischievous side of him broke out. "You know, I technically have you to blame for this."

"Me?" she asked, faking hurt.

He smiled. "Yeah, well, you've been doing such a good job, there has been no uprisings, crime has been low, I might be out of a job soon" he said sarcastically.

"Not with me around you won't, I'll make sure of that."

"Well thanks... though I'll be bored out of my mind."

"What do you want?" she playfully scoffed. "Start a war or something?"

"Well... we haven't had a good war in a while."

Elsa smacked him on the back of the head. "You're horrible!"

"Ow! Watch it woman!"

"Woman?! I'm your queen, your boss I might remind you!"

"Queen, boss, still a woman!"

"Why you...!" Elsa smacked him continuously on the back, Jase laughing and trying to fight her off. This continued on for a little as Elsa chased him around the entrance a bit until Elsa accidently pushed him up against the outside wall of the stable. Laughing too hard, they didn't realize the awkward situation they were in.

Then, for a moment, they stopped laughing. She looked at him, her face softening when she realized how close they were. She hadn't been this close to him in so long, and it felt, good. She didn't want to let go, and frankly, he didn't mind. Caught up in the heat of the moment, Elsa leaned closer, letting her emotions take over. In response, Jase likewise moved closer, moving his arm to her back, which to his surprise she didn't resist. They inched closer and closer...

But before there lips could meet, however, they heard the stable doors open from inside, startling them.

"Hello?" It was Kristoff, having come back with ice from the mountains. "Is somebody here?" he asked, removing his gloves and outer gear.

Snapping back to reality, Elsa immediately pulled back, taking a few quick steps back away from Jase, a look of dread on her face. Jase could only stare, wishing he knew what to say. It happened to fast, and was over even more so.

"I...I..." was all she could get out before she heard familiar shouting.

"Papa!" cried Matthew from inside, greeting Kristoff.

"Kristoff's home!" called Olaf, who was watching Matthew that day.

Just wanting to get out of there, Elsa just straightened out her dark blue dress and walked back into the stable to the exit, giving Jase one last, regretful look. "I'm sorry" she said silently before leaving him alone.

"What for?" he asked just as she went out of earshot. Every instinct told him to go after her, to straighten this out. It had been so long, and it had been tormenting to him not be be _that_ close to her. But the memory of the last time he tired to rush something with her ended their relationship, and he didn't want to mess anything else up between them. He had given her all the time in the world, but he was afraid to tell her that he was done waiting. Instead of going after her and making a scene, he decided to wait until she had a few hours to herself at least. Letting her go, he went to bring Cliff in for the night.

Elsa walked into the stables, hoping to avoid detection as Kristoff picked up Mathew. "Hey buddy!" he said, roughing up his head. "Oh, Elsa, hi!" .

"Hi Kristoff" she greeted, trying not to sound suspicious. "How was it up there?"

"Oh, same old. Have you seen Anna?" he asked, anxious to see his wife.

"Oh, she was inside getting some rest. I'll go get her!" she said, wanting an excuse to get out of there. Kristoff watched as she over anxiously left.

"What's wrong with aunt Elsa?" he asked Matthew.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Mh-mhh."

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><p>Anna was already on her way out, hearing it from one of the servants that Kristoff was home. On her way down, she passed by Elsa.<p>

"Elsa! Kristoff's home!"

"Oh, yeah, I just saw him."

Anna immediately grabbed her arm. "Come on!"

"Um, actually, I'm not feeling well... I think I'll go rest."

"Rest? It's still morning! Are you OK?"

"Of course, well... I just ate something during breakfast that didn't agree with me... really, I just need to rest now."

Anna knew better than to believe that, but Elsa was already off. "OK, I'll go check on you as soon as I get back, OK?"

"Sure, sure" Elsa said as if distracted. All she wanted to do was get to her room. Anna slowly went off to see her husband, but kept a mental note to see Elsa, as soon as possible.

Finally making it to her room, Elsa slammed the door behind. She went to her bed, let herself fall into it, grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it.

"AAAHHHH! What it wrong with me?!" she cried, the pillow muffling her voice.

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><p>Anna went straight to the stables and immediately jumped into her husband's arms, and planted him a deep kiss, much to Matthew's disgust.<p>

"Oh Kristoff! I'm so glad you're home!"

"Same here feisty pants" he said, putting her down as he finished putting Sven away. It was only a few days, but he was glad as ever to be home.

Taking his time to compose himself, Jase finally walked in through the back door with Cliff, keeping his head low.

"Jase! Hey, long time no see!" greeted Kristoff.

"Hey, Kristoff!" he said, trying to sound upbeat, and not like he took a jab to the heart. "How was it up there?"

"Eh, uneventful, though I am starved!"

"Well then, I say we go out and celebrate!" said Anna.

"Well, you go enjoy yourselves" said Jase, trying to sneak away.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Anna. "You're invited."

"Oh, no. I, uh, I think I'm feeling sick." he said, throwing Cliff into his stall and running off.

Anna watched as he left. "Huh."

"What?" asked Kristoff.

"Elsa just said the same thing to me not five minutes ago."

"Maybe it's a bug going around?" asked Olaf.

Anna was still pondering it, but decided to drop it. "Well, then, I better get your coat, Mister" she said to Matthew. "Don't want you catching a cold."

"Aw, ma, I d-don't like the c-c-coat! It is i-itchy!"

* * *

><p>In town, Lukas finally made it to Arendelle. Getting off the ship, he immediately started looking for his father. After spending all morning looking for him, his stomach began growling. He decided it was best to get a bite to eat. Using the money he had with him, he walked to the nearest restaurant.<p>

What he didn't see was a hooded figure following him just out of site. Using the crowds as camouflage, he followed the boy closely, knowing that he would lead him to his father.

* * *

><p>Kristoff, Anna, Matthew, and Olaf went to their favorite restaurant, the Wandering Elk, to celebrate his homecoming. They were very familiar with this place, as it was where Jase started that fight his first night in Arendelle almost four years ago. Like it was then, it was a warm, inviting place, both eloquent enough for romantic dinners and friendly enough for families. It's stage area for music performers was still up, though tonight some drunken fool was making a pitiful attempt at karaoke.<p>

"How do you like you're sandwich?" Anna asked Matthew.

"It's alright. Can I-I try Pa-pa's s-at-steak?"

"Oh, no sweetie. You need your big boy teeth to eat that."

"When w-wil I get Th-that?"

"After all your little teeth fall out!" said Olaf cheerfully.

Matthew immediately covered his mouth his his hands. "But I d-d-don't want to l-l-loose my teeth!"

"Oh, no, it's a good thing!" Anna said. "Oh boy, Kristoff, help me out here!"

"Right, uh, see, baby teeth are like, how should I say they this..." he paused when the drunken singer hit another sour note.

"...To hold me (hiccup) down!" he sang from around the corner of the restaurant, out of their line of sight.

"Why don't they make him stop?" he asked, leaning over, trying to get a look at whoever it was past the wooden pillars

"I don't know, he sounds really, really bad" said Anna.

"Why don't you sing M-Momma?" asked Matthew. "You sing r-r-r-really g-good."

"Aw, thanks buddy, but I don't sing in public, only for my favorite little..."

"...Or make m-me frown! (hiccup)..." the man stuttered in his drunkenness.

"Alright, that does it!" she said, getting up.

"Anna, where are you going?" asked Olaf.

"I'm going to tell that maniac that he can't sing like that! It's just really bad!"

Anna walked just a little bit before she cleared the pillar, seeing the identity of the man. She stopped in her tracks.

"Oh no" she muttered.

"What?" asked Kristoff, standing up and walking over. "Who is it?"

Anna just pointed as Kristoff walked over, seeing the masked man on the stage.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The masked man, his clothes more worn down since the last time they saw him, was holding a pint of rum in one hand, and singing into a spoon with the other.

_"...Down where the dear rum flows_

_Dere's a Russian rend-hoos? (hiccup!)_  
><em>Where me and Il-l-y goes<em>  
><em>But I'd rather stay here and drink, Hey! (hiccup!)<em>

_There are no strings on me!..." _

Sang Wes Brawnstone, half brother of Lars Brawnstone, before drinking one last gulp of rum, falling off the stage onto one of the tables, breaking it in two.

"Oh, boy. We should probably go help him up."

"Or..." said Anna, pulling him back. "We could just pretend we never saw him and walk away."

"But..."

"Shoo!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh, I'm not to proud of this chapter. I literally spent most of my past few days trying to refine it, but it's just not flowing as well as I hoped. Though... I'm sure you're all happy that Wes is back! That was "I've got no Strings" from Pinnochio (and to an extent, Avengers 2), though I altered it, since Wes wouldn't have the sense to sing it right.<strong>

**Next one should include more action, and some laughs. **

**I would like to welcome "Guest", another guest, who just read all the stories from Frozen 2 to here. Thanks for showing interest and the reviews!**

**-Batman**


	4. Where in the World has Wes been?

Chapter 4

Where in the World has Wes Been?

* * *

><p>Two days later, Lionel finally made it to Arendelle. Thanking the wool salesman first, he swiftly went through the streets of Arendelle, knowing his son was here somewhere, probably taking shelter somewhere at one of the inns. He searched every street corner and asked every vendor he might have gone to for the whereabouts of his son.<p>

* * *

><p>After three hours, Elsa finally came out of her room. She initially went downstairs to talk to Anna, but she wasn't there.<p>

"Must still be out with Kristoff and Matthew" she thought. Instead, she decided to go to her study to catch up on some papers that needed signing, anything to keep her mind off...

"Elsa?"

Turning the corner, Elsa found Jase waiting outside her study. He was the last person she wanted to see.

"Jase, I'm busy."

"Elsa, we need to talk about this" he said insistently.

"Not now..." she said, walking around him and into her office.

"Yes now" he said. "Elsa, I still love you."

Those words struck Elsa down to her soul, a pang of guilt taking over.

"Elsa, are you going to say anything?"

Elsa placed her hand on the molding of the doorway, afraid to make eye contact. "I just don't know, Jase..."

"It's been three years!" said Jase, louder than he intended. "It's been three years, Elsa" he said again, more calmly. "You loved me once..."

"Yes, I did, and some part of me still does. But Jase, when you asked me to marry you..." she stopped when Jase shot her a glare. "..._almost_ asked, I got scared, like, _really _scared." She finally turned to him, her head still downcast. "I forgot what love would eventually lead to; to commitment, and a family." Finally, she looked up to him. "Jase, those are things I've been telling myself since I was eight, that I could never have..."

"But you faced those fears. What happened to letting them go?"

Elsa shook her head. "I have tried. For three years, I have tried to let it go. This is just something I can't seem to push away. It's like a scar, one I didn't even knew I had until that day. I'm... I'm sorry. I should have never led you on like that."

"Elsa, not more than a few hours ago, you almost kissed me..."

"And I'm sorry for that."

"Sorry?! For what? I wished we got a chance to finish! It just shows that you still have feelings for me, that there is still something there."

"That was... I don't know what that was..."

"I think you do" he said, crossing his arms.

Elsa glanced back up at him again, seeing the look in his eyes. Then she began shaking her head, her thoughts fighting against themselves as feelings began to rise up. "No you don't. Please, just leave me be."

"Elsa..."

"I'm sorry." With that, Elsa turned back into her study, and closed the door. Jase was left alone, again. He raised his hand to knock, but relented, not knowing what else he could say. Reluctantly, he walked away. Part of him wanted to just let her go, to give up hope.

Jase, however, was stubborn.

* * *

><p>Wes was still, unmoving as he lied on the bench outside behind the restaurant he was just kicked out off. Then, suddenly, a bucket of water made contact with his face.<p>

"Don't do it Rider, it's a trap!" he screamed, arms flailing as he woke up. "Wait, what? Where am I?"

"It's us!" said Olaf cheerfully.

Wes squinted his eyes, trying to recognize the snowman. Then it occurred to him; he only knows one snowman.

"You!" he screamed. "My arch nemesis! Untie me you fiend!"

"Wes, relax" said Kristoff. "You're hands are not tied." He, Olaf, Anna, Matthew and Sven were out behind the restaurant, where the owner was kind enough to let them have some privacy.

"I think I'd know if I wasn't... oh wait, never mind" he said, noticing his hands were free. Quickly, he stood up "So, uh, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, you kind of disturbing the peace..."

"Oh, so nothing out of the ordinary. Good. So, how's the family? Did you come to your senses and name your kid after me?"

"No! We did not!" said an annoyed Anna.

"Princess! How's life... Oh, is this the little guy?" he asked, seeing Matthew by Anna's legs. He bent down to get a closer look "Hi there!" he said in a gentler voice.

"Momma, wh-wh-whose the s-strange man? And wh-why is he w-wearing a m-mask?" he said, hiding behind Anna's skirt.

"Oh, this is... uh, an old friend of ours, of sorts."

"Of sorts?" Wes said, offended. "I will have you know, little man, that I saved the lives of everyone here..."

"That was _after _you tried to kidnap me and stab Kristoff!"

"Oh, would you let that go! I helped save your life, so we're even now, right?"

"Right!" said Olaf.

"I wasn't talking to you! We still have that matter of you stranding me in the dessert, you little snow golem!"

"Snow what?" asked Olaf.

"You heard me!" snapped Wes, pointing an accusing finger. It was then Sven jumped in between them, pushing his head directly into Wes' face, snorting angrily. "And that goes for you too!" said Wes defiantly.

"Sven!" said Kristoff, pulling him back. "Leave the guy alone, will you?"

"Um, Wes" Anna interrupted, walking up with Matthew behind her. "I don't mean to be rude, but, what are you doing back in Arendelle? You're not planning on stealing something, or someone, are you?"

"Ah yes, Arendelle. Well, funny story, being out of touch with my brother, I sadly ran out of the secret ingredient to make my capsules. So, I've been traveling the old fashion way... _walking_." He said with a distaste for the word

"Oh, you poor soul" said Anna sarcastically.

"Anyway, this is my life since I left Berglia... que flashback!"

"What?"

_"I continued working as a thief, you know, stealing what I needed, living the life. Ah, life was awesome! But alas, I felt unfulfilled with my life, a void if you will. About a year ago, I gave my self a long, hard look in the mirror... about three hours to be exact. I actually had to take my mask off to get a better look, the details of which... you will never know! Anyway, I had my epiphany: what if I lived an honest life (que heavenly tone). So, I gave it a shot. My first job was working in some poor provincial town in France as a librarian. I ended up being fired cause I didn't know the "alphabetical system." That, and this crazy strange, peculiar, bibliomanic chick kept giving me a hard time when I couldn't find some book about a beanstock or an ogre or something, and she was _always _singing! _

_After that, I went to work for this work as a guard for the Chinese army. I might have fallen asleep and failed to sound the alarm when some Huns invaded and I got fired, but I think they turned out alright. Then there was this German guy who needed help talking some boys into going to a magical place called Pleasure island. I never got a chance to go there, but I'm sure they had a great time. Then the guy was arrested for something involving illegal donkey trading, so I was once again out of a job._

_Finally, it happened: I ran out of the dust used to make my transportation capsules, so I ended up stranded in some place in Scotland, where some crazy redheaded chick shot at me with a bow for making fun of her accent! Talk about being sensitive! After that I couldn't find a good job, realizing I had no skills expect for the illegal sort. I was on the streets, alone, without penny to my name. Then, I had my second epiphany (heavenly tone); I'll become a bounty hunter!"_

"A bounty hunter?" asked Olaf.

"Yeah, the good kind, not like a mercenary who kidnaps innocent people. See, I now go after wanted criminals, turn them into the law, you know, where I'm not already wanted, and collect the reward. Everyone wins!..."

When Wes was finally finished, Matthew had fallen asleep leaning against Anna's leg.

"... Oh, and I had this mishap with a cursed Aztec treasure, but I was able to track down some old bandaging for a trace of my blood and reverse it, but other than that, everything's just dandy!"

"Well, I'm glad you found a useful trade in society" said Anna, picking up the dozy Matthew. "But we should get going..."

"Actually, maybe you can lend me a hand. See, I was following this nameless, hooded fellow, when I lost his trail in Weselton..."

"Weselton?" asked Anna, suddenly curious.

"Yeah. You know anyone there?"

"I wish I could un-know someone if that's what you mean."

"Ah. Well, I finally picked up his trial here, lost it again, got depressed, drank to my heart's content, then you guys found me."

"Wait, there's a dangerous criminal in Arendelle?" asked Anna, holding Matthew closer.

"Yeah, some mercenary. He was following some other dude. Problem is, he's got no name, is almost never seen, his only identifying mark being a scar on his right hand in the shape of a bear... hence his nickname "Bear Scar guy". He's a pretty tough dude."

"Well, I hope you catch this, "Bear Scar Guy", cause I don't like the idea of a mercenary running around Arendelle..."

* * *

><p>Lionel was wandering around Arendelle for hours now. It was well past noon, and he still couldn't find his son. He began to worry; "What if the ship didn't make it, or that Assassin got him?" "I should have never let him go alone!" he thought. Not knowing where else to look, he sat down at one of the benches near the shipyards to rest.<p>

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw a young boy sitting by himself, eating an apple. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was indeed his blond haired son, waiting for his father

"Lukas!" he cried, running to meet his son. Lukas! Over here!"

Lukas looked up from his apple, trying to find the source of the voice. Turning to his left, he finally found it.

"Pa!" he cried, dropping his apple and making a bee-line for his father. closing the gap in a matters of seconds, he jumped up into his father's arms. Some on-lookers took notice, watching as son and father were reunited.

"I've got you son!" Lionel cried, hugging his son.

"Oh Pa! I thought he got you for sure!"

"No, son. I'm tough, remember? Nothing's going to keep me from you."

Finally, he pulled away, looking at his son in the face. "We're safe here, son. I promise, things are going to be different from now on."

As Father and son reunited, a man in the shadows took notice. The hooded Assassin the bear scar on his right hand gripped the sword on his belt. Making sure there were no guards to break up what he was about to start, he attempted to take the fire wielder by surprise...

* * *

><p><strong>I just love these cliffhangers, don't you? <strong>

**Let me know what you think! Be brutal! **

**-Batman**


	5. Metal and Fire

Chapter 5

Metal and Fire

**Chapters on back to back days! I'm on fire!... (pun intended).**

* * *

><p>"Come on son" said Lionel, standing up. "Let's go find a place to eat, then I'll see if I can meet with the queen and hopefully she will offer us refuge here."<p>

"Hey, with your fire, I'm sure she'll find time to meet with you."

Lionel chuckled, patting his son on the back. "Yeah, they can be a blessing at times."

Lionel and Lukas walked off back into tow, not seeing the hooded man hiding behind one of the buildings. He silently walked up behind them, hand on the hilt of his sword. Both of them oblivious to him, he inched closer and closer, trying to look casual and not attract attention. Then, when he judged himself close enough, he pulled the sword from its scabbard, making a "shing" noise.

That' all it took to alert Lionel to his presence. He turned, seeing the Assassin in the corner of his eye. "Lukas! Down!" Lionel ordered. Before the assassin could get close, Lionel swung his hand to the ground before them, sending a surge of fire magic out. It hit the ground before the Assasin, exploding into a pillar of fire, stopping him in his tracks. Nearby, a woman screamed; Lionel forgot he was in public as the crowds began to disperse in the opposite direction...

* * *

><p>A quarter mile away, behind a restaurant, Anna, Kristoff, Matthew, and Olaf were getting ready to leave Wes to whatever adventure he was off to next, when he stopped, twitching his head.<p>

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"What?" asked Kristoff.

Then, he heard another faint scream, too faint for most people to hear. "That's him!" Wes said, drawing one of his swords.

"Who?"

"Bear scar guy, who else?"

"How do you know?"

"I have a eight sense about these things!"

"_Eighth_ sense?"

"I'll explain later!" He screamed, running through the alleyways towards the shipyards.

Kristoff stared until Wes disappeared, then turned to Anna. "Do you think we should follow him?"

"Oh, you know it's probably nothing. Then again, he might be a public menace... Tell you what, you go see what nonsense he's after, and I'll take Mr. Sleepy head here home."

"Oh, can I go?" asked Olaf.

"Sure Olaf." said Kristoff, walking off briskly with Sven and Olaf in the direction Wes went.

"Be careful!" screamed Anna. "Wow, never thought I'd be the responsible one, huh?" she asked the sleeping Matthew.

* * *

><p>The Assassin dodged a series of blasts of fire from Lionel, being careful not to hit any of the civilians. He couldn't use his powers to his full extent, fearing he would set one of the nearby buildings on fire or burn some innocent person.<p>

"Stay back!" said Lionel, his son cowering behind him. "Somebody's going to get hurt!"

The Assassin didn't say anything. Instead, he charged with his sword again. Lukas jumped back while Lionel took a step forward, forming his fire blade and blocking the blow.

"Just leave us alone! This isn't Weselton anymore!" Lionel reminded him. The Assassin didn't listen, swinging his sword left and right, trying to stab Lionel. The crowds began dispersing, screaming in panic from the fight.

"Luke, run!" screamed Lionel as he blocked another blow. "Run! Find a guard!"

Lukas did as his father instructed and ran. But the Assassin saw this and found an opportunity. Stepping back a few paces, he flipped out one of his throwing knives and threw it at Lukas.

"No!" screamed Lionel. Without time to think, he threw himself in front of the blade, getting himself stabbed in the leg with the knife.

"Pa!" screamed Lukas. He ran back, grabbing onto his wounded father as he fell.

Under his hood, the Assassin smiled. He took a few quick steps over to the dazed Lionel and his son.

"Leave him be!" screamed Lukas, cowering over his father. Lionel tried to push him away, but the Assassin was already over him, raising his sword to strike.

He swung it down hard, but was met with surprise: Another sword met his before he could do the family any harm. Looking up, he met a familiar, masked face.

"We meet again, Bear Scar Guy!" said Wes Brawnstone. The Assassin pulled back, sliding sword on sword, taking a defensive stance. Wes stood between him and the family, drawing his second sword. "You know, I don't like guys who messes with children... like, at all."

The Assassin stared back, wordlessly.

"And what's with all the fire?" he asked randomly, looking at the burning areas around them. "Burning things now I see?"

The Assassin didn't respond, but rather took a swing at Wes. Wes took out his second sword, fighting back against the Assassin, putting distance between the Assassin and Lionel and Lukas. Despite wielding two swords, the Assassin was putting up quiet a fight with his long sword, swinging it around with surprising speed.

"What is with you anyway?" asked Wes as he fought. "Why don't you talk?"

The Assassin didn't say anything, silently fighting back.

Lionel was barely able to get to his feat as Lukas helped him up. By then Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven ran up, helping him up.

"You alright?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes..." Lionel grunted, trying to stand. "Just a flesh wound." Immediately, Kristoff began pulling him out of harm's way while Wes fought off the Assassin. "Guess Wes wasn't kidding" Kristoff said to Olaf.

Performing a series of spins, the Assassin avoided Wes' advances. The two mercenaries fought diligently, leaping over boxes and barrels, eventually finding themselves on opposite sides of a two-wheeled cart full of cabbages. Seeing that it was leaning at an odd angle, he kicked it up, covering the Assassin in cabbages. Underneath the cart was a small, cowering man, who was up till now using his cart to hide.

"My cabbages!" he cried, staring at the over turned cart.

Wes ignored him and went after the distracted Assassin, kicking him down. Flipping over upon impact, the Assassin quickly got back to his feat, just in time to block another swing from Wes. Wes eventually gained the upper hand and forced him back over a pile of wood, being used in a nearby construction project. Wes, being more energetic and quick, saw that he was begging to tire out the man.

"Aw, is mister no speaky getting tired?" asked Wes in a mocking tone

Then Wes stepped on a loose board, which lied across a small box. Seeing his opportunity, the Assassin stepped down hard on the other end, knocking Wes' leg up, flipping him over onto his back.

"Ouch" he said in a grunt on his back. "And I even saw that coming."

One instant later, the Assassin was back, sword held over his head as he was about to stab Wes.

"No!" cried Kristoff. Next too him, Lionel, seeing Wes in peril, flung his arms forward, sending forth a beam of fire magic. Seeing the fire at the last second, the Assassin swung his sword, blocking it. The impact resulted in an explosion of fire, magic, and smoke, sending the Assassin flying back into a stack of crates. The smoke and amber filled the air, reducing the visibility for a few seconds. For a moment, all was silent.

When the smoke finally cleared, Kristoff's jaw fell, followed by Sven and Olaf's. Kristoff remained there, still supporting Lionel, whose arms were still cast forward.

"Ah... you uh... you have fire magic?"

Lionel nodded, still gasping. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

Still on his back, Wes slowly sat up, scorch marks on his face, and the feather on his hat cindering. His eyebrows are noticeably smaller, burned back from the blast. "whoooa" he said in aw and shock. "I did _not_, see that coming!" Smelling the cindering feather, he licked his fingers and promptly put it out. "OK, everyone, raise your hand if you saw that coming!" Nobody raised their hands, Kristoff still unmoved. "Yeah, thought so." He stood up, wiping the ash and dust from his body. He looked around, scanning through the smoke. "Hey, where'd Bear Scar guy go?"

Kristoff forced himself out of his trance. Both he and Lionel looked around, seeing no trace of the Assassin.

"Come on" said Kristoff, helping the limping Lionel onto Sven. "We better get you to the infirmary; I'm sure Elsa and Anna are going to be interested in meeting you."

* * *

><p>Anna just walked into the castle courtyard, carrying a sleeping Matthew. Standing outside the castle doors, a distracted looking Jase took notice and walked up.<p>

"There you are." she said. "Weren't you supposed to be back a few hours ago?... Where's Kristoff and Olaf?"

"Oh, yeah, you'll never believe who we found at the restaurant... Wes Brawnstone."

"Wes?" Jase asked, distracted from his other thoughts. "As in Wes, brother of Lars, crazy teleporting guy, _that_ Wes?"

"Not teleporting anymore, as he apparently ran out of the stuff. Anyway, he ran off chasing some commotion he thought he heard, so Kristoff and the others went to keep him out of trouble..."

"Doctor!" screamed Kristoff with a stranger riding in on Sven. "We need a doctor!"

Anna turned in disbelief. There was Kristoff, Olaf, Wes, a young boy, and a wounded man riding Sven.

"Looks like they found it instead" said Jase, walking past Anna and rushing to them.

"We need a doctor!" said Kristoff. "He's been stabbed in the leg!"

"Kristoff!" said Jase. "What's going on, what happened?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I'll say it! I'll say it!" said Wes, raising his hand. "I was looking for Bear Scar Guy, then I found Feisty Pants and family, then found Bear Scar Guy, he tries to kill this dude, I save him, Bear Scar Guy tries to kill me, then this dude goes all..." he waves his hands dramatically, "... Wham! Ba-boom! Ka-pow! Bang!... fire bending slice!" he exclaimed, waving his hands around as if reenacting some sort of martial art.

Everyone just kind of stared at the eccentric Wes for a second. Jase and Anna simultaneously rolled there eyes to Kristoff for a better explanation.

"Yeah, I'll explain it better. But right now, we need to get this guy patched up."

* * *

><p>Elsa was still in her study, working away to get her mind off things. Then, something happened she never dreamed would ever happen; she was done. Everything was signed, read, and written. Not even a single envelope was unsealed. Normally, she would be ecstatic, but on this particular day, she <em>needed<em> something to keep her busy, after a particularly confusing morning.

Sighing in defeat, she held her hand up, playing around with a few flurries she decided to create, letting them spin and float, much like a snow globe.

"ELSA!" screamed a huffing, out of breath Anna, bursting through the door. Elsa nearly jumped out of her chair in fright, causing her to shoot the magic at her desk, freezing the work she just completed.

"Anna! What on earth?!..."

"Come to infirmary! Wes! Assassin! Fire magic! Sword fight! Explosions! Mayhem!..."

"Anna! Calm down! What are you trying to s..."

"Sorry, can't say! Must show! Now!" Without another word, she grabbed Elsa's arm and pulled her away.

"Here we go again" Elsa said in defeat, letting Anna drag her out. At least her mind is now occupied again.

* * *

><p>Being dragged to the infirmary, Elsa was surprised to see almost everyone crowding outside one of the rooms.<p>

"Excuse me. Sorry. Queen and princess coming through... MOVE!" said Anna as she dragged Elsa through.

"What is going on?" Elsa asked just before being pulled to the room. Inside, Jase, Kristoff, Olaf, and... Wes were standing around a bed ridden man with a young child next to him.

"Alright, what is going... oh no" said Elsa, seeing Wes in the corner.

"Oh, Elsa! Hey it's me Wes! Remember we were engaged! You shot ice at me..." said Wes, walking towards Elsa when she formed a pillar of ice in front of him, causing him to smash into it.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Elsa asked, her mood deteriorating. "And who is this?" she asked, referring to Lionel.

"Oh, Elsa, you have to see this!" said Anna. She turned to Lionel. "Go on, show her!"

"Show me what?"

Slowly, Lionel held his hand out. With little effort, he formed a small ball of fire, as if a burning torch, only without the torch.

Elsa's eyes widened. Lionel let the slow flickering flame increase, flaring out a little.

"You, you can, use... _fire_ magic?" she asked, almost unbelieving.

Lionel nodded, letting the flame die. "Your Majesty, my name is Lionel Leewell, and this is my son, Lukas... We came here seeking sanctuary from Weselton..."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, hope you all liked that little action bit. I'm sure most of you caught the little references I threw in there. Again, not really cannon, just little nods. Things might go more slowly as school work begins to pile up, so bear with me. <strong>

**Don't be afraid to review!**

**-Batman**


	6. The Plight of Lionel

Chapter 6

The Plight of Lionel

**I see everyone loved the Last Airbender references!**

**Sorry about the delay. My outline kind off fell apart on me as I fleshed it out, and I had a problem making the story flow. But, I think I worked it out, so here you go.**

* * *

><p>"... And by the time the smoke cleared, the mercenary was gone. Afterwards, we just brought Lionel here to get his leg looked at."<p>

Kristoff just finished telling everyone what happened in the city that day. It was getting late, and Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Jase and Wes were in the infirmary with Lionel and Lukas. Lionel sat on the bed, his leg just finished being bandaged by the nurse, young Lukas by his side. Luckily, it was just a flesh wound, missing most of the major arteries. He could even begin walking again in a few days.

As Kristoff finished his story, Elsa studied the man before her. He had short, red hair, and a strong looking face with short facial hair; enough to give the impression of a beard, but short enough so his skin could still be clearly seen underneath. He sounded like a man in his thirties, but his face showed signs of worry and hardships, adding years fro his face. Though she very rarely entertained such thoughts, he appeared, handsome.

When Kristoff finished speaking, Elsa jumped out of her thoughts, immediately concerning herself with the matter at hand. "So wait, we have an assassin in Arendelle, who is after this man... I'm sorry, Lionel?"

Lionel nodded. "That's my name."

"And the Northern Isles has a 40,000 krone price on him, alive" said Wes. "So he's mine in case anyone gets any ideas!"

Elsa stood up, pacing the room. "Wesley, what, what is he wanted for, by the way?" she asked about as business like as possible.

"You're speaking to me? Really? Am I dreaming? I'm not even sure you said anything in all the while I've known you... wait, let me think (he takes a moment to recount the events of Frozen 4)... nope, not so much as a sentence. You know, you may not like me, but that doesn't mean you have to be rude about it..."

"Mr. Brawnstone! What is this mercenary wanted for?" Elsa asked, the room growing colder.

"Ugh, fine Ms. Sassy!" Else rolled her eyes. Wes started counting with his fingers, flipping out one finger for each crime. "He's wanted for the assassination of a Lord, a Duke, two business men, five ship captains, and three military men, and that's just what he's been charged with, not to mention his involvement in criminal assassinations."

"Sheez" said Kristoff. "This guy sounds bad."

"Yep, this guy's a first class mercenary, wanted in seven different countries. The Northern Isles has the highest price for him, so I plan to take him there...Also, I'm not wanted there, so..."

"But why is he after you?" asked Elsa to Lionel, interrupting Wes.

Lionel leaned up in his bed, wincing as a surge of pain went through his leg. "The Duke of Weseton sent him, Duke Archibald."

"Duke who?" asked Anna.

Elsa's reaction was another matter. Her eyes went wide at the name. So many memories, all bad regarding that man. He did, after all, tried to have her killed in her own palace. "Anna, Archibald is the name of the Duke of Weselton."

"That's his name? Archibald, really?"

"What did you think his name was?"

"I don't know, Duke Weasel? He never actually said his name."

Elsa face palmed herself. "Wow."

"And..." started Jase, turning the attention back to Lionel. "Why is the Duke after you?"

Lionel sat up straight in bed. He glanced at his son for a moment, remembering what led them to where they were.

"Because I'm different" he said bitterly, anger building in his voice. He looked right at Jase, memories forming behind the eyes. "I was a blacksmith before he found out about my powers, and a good one too. I knew of the Duke's prejudice, but my wife, Lily, had family there, so I managed to keep my powers concealed. It wasn't good enough, through, and one day, he found out. soldiers came to arrest me, surrounding my house. We fled through an escape hatch under our home. I was able to escape with Luke, but Lily..." He stopped, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "They caught up to us briefly and... I couldn't... She was killed..." Lionel stopped talking, his eyes watering.

There was a moment of silence in the room. Anna covered her mouth with her hands, shocked at the Duke's ruthlessness.

Lionel, not wanting to relieve old memories, carried on. "Luke and I managed to hide out in neighboring countries for a while, moving from place to place when suspicions grew. Finally, about a few months ago, this man, the Assassin, nearly decapitated me. I was able to use my powers to get him off my back, but he was relentless, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he got the better of me. I heard of Arendelle, and you" he looked to Elsa. "So, I thought, maybe we could find a place here. We had to go back to Weselton to get here, though, and the Assassin nearly got us, but we got here. Unfortunately, he followed. I'm, sorry about that."

"No need, it wasn't your fault" said Elsa. She was clearly flustered, but not at him. "You were just looking after your family... How long have you been on the run?" she asked.

Lionel shrugged, looking to Luke. "I don't know, about, three... three years son?"

"I think so Pa."

"Three years then."

Elsa nodded. "You can stay here for now, till we can rid ourselves of that criminal. You don't have to run anymore. Any enemy of the Duke is a friend of mine."

Lionel sighed in relief. "Thank you your Majesty! I, I don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything. Just, rest for now. Spend time with your son. When you're well enough to walk, we'll discuss this more. Until then, sleep comfortably."

Lionel hugged his son. "Thank you, really."

Elsa smiled in response, then motioned everyone else to follow her out.

Now by themselves, Luke asked his father "We're safe now, Pa?"

"Yes, we're safe" he replied, leaning back against the pillow.

* * *

><p>Outside, out of earshot of Lionel's room, Anna started<p>

"Wow, and to think, we just found someone else with ice powers, and now we find a guy with fire powers" said Anna.

"I can't believe it" said Elsa. "Only a few years ago, I thought I was the only one. And now... and someone with a gift other that ice."

"I know, right? Like, how do they work? Can he make fire creatures? Can he make a castle of magma?"

"Maybe we should let him rest before you go ask him those childish questions" remarks Kristoff.

"Ooh!" interrupted Wes. "We should make him and Elsa fight! Wouldn't that be sweet?! Fire and ice? I could sell tickets, maybe make a wager or two..."

"You are not going to stage a fight!" Anna yelled at Wes.

"Oh come on, I could use the money! I'm broke!"

"You're insane!"

"I thought we've established that!"

"Stop it you two!" Elsa interrupted. "This is serious! We could be receiving word from Weselton any day now. Word that a man with fire powers is here is going to spread."

"Wait, what?" asked Anna.

"The Duke is a harsh, greedy, horrid man who has this phobia with magic. He won't stop till he has Lionel."

"But, Elsa, he hasn't gone after you" said Anna. "It's been, what, five years or so since we last heard of him?"

"That's only because I'm a sovereign ruler; if he tried to have me killed, he would make enemies. I had the backing of an entire country to stand against him, and then some. Lionel is a commoner, he doesn't have the luxury."

Anna nodded. "Wow, I never realized... I've forgotten how good we have it."

"What now?" Jase asked. "I doubt the Duke is going to let easy prey go unchallenged."

"Now" Elsa said. "We just worry about the Assassin. We'll double the guard, both around the castle and in town till we find him. And if the Duke makes a move, we'll just have to wait."

"Well, that's great" said Wes in a dismissive tone. "Say, I have to stay in town for a while till I get my man, mind I crash here for a few days? I've never actually stayed in a castle before, you know, with the owner's permission..."

"No!" said Elsa. The last thing she needed was some crazy nut with a crush on her in her own home. She had enough problems with men being infatuated with her for one day.

"Aw, but I'll be good. I promise! I'll even let make sure Cornelious stays in my room!"

"Who?"

"He's my invisible hedgehog! He's been standing right here the entire time!" he pointed to his side, pointing to a spot of thin air. "Go on, say hello Corry..."

...

"You're sick, you know that?!..." He turned back to Elsa. "So, can I stay?"

Elsa just stared at him blankly, honestly not sure what to make of him. "Absolutely not! I'm sure there is a place in town you can stay. I'll even pay for your rent personally, but _not_ in the castle."

"Well... it's no castle, but I'll take it. Beats the last place I stayed at. I think the landowner was a psycho."

* * *

><p>Duke Archibald sat a his dining table with some of his business partners, discussing mundane topics of business and trade. As he enjoyed his meal, one of his servants walked up, handing him a note. Reading it briefly, he immediately knew who it was from.<p>

"Ah" he said to himself, catching the attention of his guests. "You all remember that heathen fire magician I've been after?"

"Oh, you mean that former blacksmith?"

"Yes, that one. Well, it appears our "friend" tracked that fire sorcerer back to Arendelle, where he has, been given Asylum. That snow sorceress thinks she can protect her own kind" he chuckled. He crumpled up the paper, throwing it away for the servant to pick up. "Well, I'll show her who she's messing with. It's about time I get some payback." He wiped his mouth and got up from the table. "Excuse me gentlemen, I must consult with my advisors... We have some, legal matters to attend to. My asset comes highly recommended, but it looks like I might have to implement a failsafe."

* * *

><p><strong>jj12: Good eye picking up the second reference! As for Wes, Deadpool was actually a major influence in making him, that and Flynn Rider. Funny thing, he was just supposed to be another nameless assassin, but then... I decided it needed a new OC, so I started with Deadpool, made him medieval looking, threw in some stuff of my own, added some Flynn Rider in it, then just went nuts with it and threw in a bunch of supposed adventures, threw it all in the blender that is my imagination, and boom! Wesley Brawnstone!. H<strong>**e was originally supposed to be able to teleport on his own, being "born" with it, but I ran into too many plot conflicts with that idea.**

**Gelgela29: Give Wes his own series? That.. is a great idea! Just let me finish this series, where his backstory will be revealed, then I'll see what I can do. And thanks for the comment on the poster. I actually used a program called " Paint. net", rather than that overpriced Photoshop. **

**Glad you guys are enjoying this. Don't forget to review!**

**P.S. I have a new poll up regarding another story I'm writing. Basically, it's your reaction if there were ever a trailer for it. It involves a hypothetical, ultimate crossover movie where basically any movie can enter the real world. Action film, Loki's the main villain, Frozen's in it, so is Deadpool, it get's crazy.**

**-Batman**


	7. The Blacksmith

Chapter 7

The Blacksmith

**Sorry about the delay. **

* * *

><p>The next morning, after receiving breakfast in bed, Lionel attempted to get up an walk around. He enjoyed working, doing something, and being bedridden did not sit well with him. He tried to get up too fast, however, and would have fallen to the floor if Luke had not caught him.<p>

"Take it easy Pa" Luke said, trying to pushing him back up. "Your leg was stabbed, remember?"

"You don't say?" said Lionel in upbeat sarcasm. "I didn't notice."

Luke smiled at his father's sarcasm as he helped him to his feet. Taking it slower this time, Lionel was able to hobble around the room on the cructh. "There, I'll be running in no time."

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in" he greeted. Entering the room was Elsa and Anna.

"Good morning!" Anna said cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm much better, thank you. I'll have to thank your husband later for bringing me back here."

"Oh, you'll get your chance. He's spending some much needed father-son time with him... and by that I mean giving _me_ a break" Anna smiled.

"I see your on your feet again?" said Elsa, interrupting her sister.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I just can't stand being in bed when I'm not tired. Can't wait till this leg gets better.

"Glad to hear that you are doing better. I was hoping we could talk... I would like to know more about my guest. Perhaps a walk through the courtyard?"

"Oh, certainly your Majesty" Lionel answered courteously.

* * *

><p>They walked out to the courtyard, Lionel enjoying the fresh air compared to his stale room. Only a few people were about, being a Saturday morning, so they could relatively talk freely.<p>

"...So, you're a blacksmith?" Elsa inquired.

Lionel nodded as he hobbled along. "Well, it kind of comes easy when you don't need forge... so, I usually use one so no one suspects my secret."

"Why did you keep it a secret?" asked Anna. "I mean, yeah, it's kind of a big deal..."

"Anna!" Elsa snapped, respecting his privacy. "That's kind of private..."

"Oh, no, Your Majesty, I would be happy too..."

"Oh, then go on, go please!" Elsa said eagerly.

"Well, my parents, God rest there souls, felt that it was best that we kept this a secret... at least until I had mastered my gift... Most of Weselton is a superstitious place."

"This is sounding utterly familiar" muttered Anna to Elsa.

"I was OK with it, especially since I was able to channel my magic into my hobby. I found all sorts of ways to use it. For years, I kept my gift a secret, but I never felt fearful of it... I mean, sure, I burned curtains and my blankets every now and then, but at least I was able to put out my own fires."

"And... only your parents knew?" said Elsa.

"And a few of my closest friends. Lilly and Luke obviously knew. Life was good, right up until, well..." Lionel grew silent, internally berating himself for letting his words slip.

"Until what?" Elsa asked, curious.

"Um... until the Duke became paranoid and began searching for other magic users. I had to move when the guards became suspicious."

"Oh" said Elsa. She was suspicious. "And, _when _did this harassment began?"

"Um..." Lionel looked around, hoping that she would drop it. "About... about six years ago?"

Elsa nodded slowly. "The same time of my coronation?"

Lionel nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up."

"You shouldn't be sorry" said Elsa. "That wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't anyone's fault" interjected Anna, knowing her sister's issues of guilt all to well. "The only person to blame is that Duke Arsensa..."

"Archibald" Elsa corrected.

"Right, whatever. It was his fault, and he's far away in some other part of the world, so we can just forget about him."

"Well, for now anyway" said Elsa.

"What you you mean?" asked Luke.

Elsa looked at the father and son sympathetically. "That Assassin is still out there, and the Duke has been known to use loopholes, blackmail, bribery, just about anything to get what he wants... Even after my coronation, he tried to bring me down by trying to turn other countries against me... luckily, our allies have better sense then that. Now he has you _and_ me in one place... He might try something equally as underhanded."

Lionel shook his head. "I'm sor..."

"Don't you dare say "sorry"!" interrupted Elsa. "I can handle the Duke. In fact, I've been waiting for a rematch with him. If anything, I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to get back at him. As for the Assassin, I have my best men looking into it... and a former, _acquaintance_..."

"You mean the masked man?" asked Lionel.

"Yes, him. We have a, strained, if not odd history with him."

"That's an understatement" said Anna.

"The point is" said Elsa. "I have almost everyone looking out for him. So you and your son can relax, try to have some peace. If there is anything you want to do, please, indulge yourself."

Lionel smiled, looking down at his son. "Well, I haven't done any blacksmithing for a while..."

* * *

><p>Jase and Isaac had been riding through town, asking everyone they passed if they had seen the Assassin. So far, no one had seen him since yesterday, and the trail was cold. Currently, they were asking the owner of a small inn if they had seen him.<p>

"...Sorry, sir" he said. "No one new has been here in over a week. Wish I could have been more help."

"That's alright. Thank you sir" said Jase. He walked out, back to Isaac on his horse.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Nope, same as everyplace else we've checked."

"Yeah, well, that guy gives me the creeps. There's no trail on this guy. No sightings, no suspicious characters, not even footprints from yesterday. It's like he's a ghost."

"Yeah... we'll get him." Jase climbed back onto Cliff, not showing much interest in the subject.

"Hey, buddy, you paying attention there?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just tired it all."

"Tired, or distracted? I've known you long enough to know if you're off."

"I'm not off."

"Then why did you just get up on some random horse?"

"What?" Jase looked down, realizing that he was on some white horse, defiantly not Cliff, who was snorting just a few feet away. Nearby stood some annoyed looking man, waiting for Jase to get off his horse. Quickly, Jase jumped off. "Uh, sorry about that."

The man grabbed the reigns to his horse and just turned and left. Feeling embarrassed, he reached over and grabbed an appalled Cliff, climbing back on. "Alright, so maybe I'm a little off."

"Really?" asked Isaac sarcastically. He waited patiently as they road along for an answer.

"Elsa and I, nearly... kissed."

Isaac's eyes went wide. "Come again?"

Jase sighed. "I was taking Cliff out to pasture when Elsa asked me for a favor. One thing led to another, then, she just came close and... well, that was it."

Isaac remained quiet for a moment as they rode about. "So, that's a step, right?"

"I have no idea. I tried to talk to her about it, but she's still holding onto this fear that she's not meant for me, or anyone for that matter... Why does she have to be so stubborn?"

"I'll tell you why!" said a voice. Jase turned around to find Wes hanging upside down from a rafter. "...It's because she's a woman, and women are crazy!"

Jase, taken by surprise, pulled back on the reigns, bringing Cliff to a stop. "What the... Where did you come from?!"

"Well, when a mommy and a daddy pirate decide they want a little baby pirate..."

"That's not what I meant!" screamed Jase. "Just forget I asked!"

Wes flipped around, jumping down to the ground below. "Look, if you want my opinion..."

"I don't."

"Just move along, get over her... It's been what, three years since I met you guys? And she's still having cold feet?... Women with a lot of baggage are not worth it. "

"If she has so much baggage" said Isaac, "then why do you still have a thing for her?"

"Because she is **FINE**!" he said loudly.

"So, you're just trying to get rid of the competition?"

"Absolutely! Especially now that I have to contend with that fire dude."

"What?" asked Jase. "Lionel? She just met him."

"And don't fire and ice kind of... don't mix?" asked Isaac.

"That's why it's so obvious! Fire, ice... the shippers are just screaming for it! I don't know why..."

"Shippers?"

"Oh... never mind. Point is... What was I talking about? I was supposed to be giving advice right?... Right, women are nuts, especially the hot ones. So, good luck with that!" Wes then jumped up, grabbing a hanging sign and quickly pulling himself back up to the roof. "I've got a bounty to collect!" With that, he was off.

Jase and Isaac just kind of stared for a moment as he left. "Did that make, any sense to you?" asked Isaac.

Jase just shook his head. "I blame the parents."

Isaac shook his head, trying to get his train of though back. "He has a point, you know. It's been three years, if she hasn't made a decision by now, then I think it's time to move on... let her go."

Jase flicked his reigns, signaling Cliff to move along. "I'm not giving up on her Isaac... no matter how long it takes."

"Why?"

"Because... I love her, and she's worth it."

* * *

><p>Temporarily taking over the royal blacksmith shop near the stables, wasting no time in getting to work. As he looked through the scrap metal to begin working, he turned to realize that in addition to Elsa and Anna, he had acquired the attention of a small crowd.<p>

"You OK?" asked Elsa.

"Oh, yeah. Just not used to a crowd is all." Finding a short piece of straight metal, he immediately went to work. He hobbled over to the anvil. Luckily, there was a structural beam he could use to support himself right next to the anvil.

"Here we go" he said. Instantly, fire and magic emanated from his hand into the piece of metal he held. It wrapped around the metal, turning it hot and red. The crowds gasped in astonishment. He then placed the metal onto the anvil. His bare hands showed no signs of burning, heat having no affect on him. Raising a hammer, he brought it down hard. Sparks of fire and magic sprang out, sending bright orange magic through the metal, shaping and texturing the metal. It was clear to those paying attention that magic was playing a role, as he managed to do in one blow what it would normally take five to do.

He swung a few more times, the straight piece of metal taking an entirely different shape, curving up and out into different shapes, Lionel using his hammer more delicately now. Fire and magic encased the metal, working itself into the metal, working a shape to it. In no time, the metal took the shape of a miniature horse.

Lifting it up to get a better look at it, he shot a few burst of fire from his finger, adding some finishing touches. Finally, he swung his hand away from the horse figurine, pulling the fire and heat out and back into his hand, letting it dissipate. He held it out for all to see, earning a set of awes and cheers from the crowd. Seeing a young girl in the crowd, he grabbed his crutch and limped over to her, handing the horse to her.

"Here you go. It's yours."

The girl nearly squealed in delight, grabbing the now cool figurine from Lionel. She thanked him and began showing it to her siblings. Taking a step back, Lionel caught a glimpse of Elsa, who was all but fascinated by the spectacle.

"That was, impressive" she said, unable to contain a smile.

Lionel nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you, my Lady."

Anna nudged Elsa, noticing the crowds enthusiasm in the new fire magic, compared to the usual ice magic of the Queen. "Looks like you got some competition!"

* * *

><p>The Assassin watched the castle from the roof he was hiding out on on one of the three story buildings in Arendelle. Careful to remain hidden, he got a clear view into the courtyard, barely able to see Lionel walk with his son, Elsa, and Anna. He eyed them closely, trying to figure out a plan of attack. But alas, the castle was too heavily guarded. He could easily swim over and scale the wall, avoiding the bridge, but guards were pacing all around. And right now, with all these people in the courtyard, getting in undetected would be difficult, even for him. After spending a day and a half analyzing the castle, he knew that his best bet would be to sneak in under the cover of darkness, slipping in between the guards' change in shifts.<p>

But where would Lionel sleep? He would have to sneak around and find it the old fashioned way.

* * *

><p><strong>Reasons for me being late can be tied to life and school... Things have been hectic here at home and my spare time has been cut in half. <strong>

**Oh, and my brother got me hooked on "Star Wars: Clone Wars" and,...yeah. Six seasons... Netflix... not a good mix with me (What happened to Ahsoka?! Or Darth Maul?! Why did it have to be canceled...WHY?! Darn you Disney! You made Frozen, but you forced Clones Wars out! I'm having mixed feelings about that.) **

**Anyway, now that that recent obsession is over, hopefully I can get more chapters out, but I can make no promises. I will, however, finish this, and the next (I have HUGE plans and I don't intend to give up on them).**

**Speaking of Frozen, anyone see the first photo stills of Frozen Fever? Still to early to tell, but it looks good so far. I see Elsa can now change the color of her dress to green. How?... I actually have no idea. "It's magic?" **

**Four: Jase was originally a knight from another Kingdom in my first story "Frozen 2: The Snow Queen." After the events of the story, Elsa knighted him as a Knight of Arendelle for his heroics, since his old kingdom finally fell into ruin.**

**See you soon, hopefully.**

**-Batman**


	8. The Note

Chapter 8

The Note

* * *

><p>In Weselton, Duke Archibald stood before King Gerbhard, King of Weselton in the council room, along with much of the council members and a few guards at attention, the Dukes personal bodyguards amongst them. It was late evening, but the Duke insisted this meeting be held immediately.<p>

The Duke's nephew, King Gerbhard ascended to the throne after his father's passing, young and naïve at the time, considered by most to be too young, especially by himself. Seeking council, he turned to his uncle, at the time very close to him. Throughout his reign, he tended to leave most decision making to his older, more adept uncle, who was the chief treasurer of Weselton, becoming the steward and his most trusted advisor as time went on. Standing apart from his short, cynical uncle, Berghard was significantly taller. His blond hair was short, his face clean of any facial hair. He was in his late twenties, but his demeanor suggested a much younger, more naïve man.

But that was over a decade ago. He is twenty nine now, yet he still hesitates to make his own decisions, relying on the opinions of others, his uncle his prime influence.

"Thank you for coming at this late hour" said the Duke. "We have received word of Lionel Leewell's whereabouts."

"Finally" said Gerbhard. "Then we can finally bring that criminal to justice?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. You see, he is in Arendelle."

"Arendelle?" said Gerbhard.

"Yes. My _source_ says that he has been given asylum there, under protection of the _Queen_ herself" the Duke replied, amplifying disgust in the word "queen."

The King looked down on the table. "Well, that complicates things."

"Indeed, it does. That is why I have come to you. I think this might work to our advantage.

"Our advantage? How so? Have you forgotten what happened to you after your last excursion there? She nearly killed everyone! Need I remind you of your neck?"

"Oh, yes, _that_" said Archibald, rubbing his fake neck injury. "Believe me, I have not forgotten my, _perilous _and, _humiliating_ experience with that Ice Witch of a Queen" he said dramatically.

"Then how can we hope reclaim the fugitive?" asked one of the newer councilmen, most of which were usually quiet. In fact, most council meetings was fairly two sided, between the

The Duke turned to him, glaring him. "Why do you speak out of term?"

"Um, oh, I'm sorry your excellency, I didn't think..."

"Exactly, you don't think! Now straighten up and don't interrupt me again!" the Duke snapped at the pudgy man.

"He has a point uncle" said Gerbhard. "I want Mr. Leewell to pay for his heinous crimes. How can this work to our advantage?"

The Duke, wise enough to stay on his nephew's good side, turned to him. "Why, by legal means, of course."

"Legal?" asked the King. "But we have no relations."

"Who needs relations, when you can get under their skin..." He paced the room. "Arendelle has been under a microscope ever since the Queen's coronation and her sorcery exposed. Since that day, she has bewitched every other kingdom into thinking them as a peaceful, harmless trading partner; working up some "disasters" she herself probably put together just so she could fix it and make herself look good. In additions, she branded Weselton as a harsh, treasonous nation, severely hurting our relations with our allies. Not a day has gone by since that I have not worked out a plan to return the favor... and now, I can."

"How" asked the King. "They're probably painting the _murderer_ to be a liberated victim as we speak."

"Yes, well, they do have a way of playing the victim... but let me reassure you, they will not get away with it this time. With your permission, nephew, I will sail to Arendelle, demand a public hearing, and make them suffer for there crimes against Weselton, _all _of them!"

"A public hearing? What good would that do?"

"I have been putting together an airtight case, exposing the Queen and her family for the monsters they truly are. We shall turn there allies against them. By the time I'm finished with them, they'll be begging us to take Mr. Leewell.

Gerbhard nodded. "Then it is settled..." he turned to the council. "The honorable Duke of Weselton shall sail to Arendelle and take Arendelle and Mr. Leewell to court" he turned to the Duke. "And I will accompany you."

The Duke, formally taking in the glory, standing regally, lost his manacle in utter surprise. "What?! Uh, no! No, that won't be necessary nephew!"

"Uncle, I wish to see this through, and my presence will improve our standing. Besides, I want to see this Ice Witch for myself."

The Duke was at a loss of words. He had no excuse not to take his nephew, being taken by surprise. "I, uh, well..."

"Then it's settled. We leave in two days." With that, King Berhard dismissed the council, and they departed. The Duke was left alone, only his two faithful bodyguards remaining.

"That won't make things easier" said the Duke to his men. "He might get wise over there, and that is something I cannot afford." He turned to his bearded guard. "Did you send the messenger bird?"

"Yes, my Lord" he answered briefly.

"Good. Let's hope our _friend_ gets it before he gets another chance to kill Mr. Leewell. It is now in our best interest that he doesn't die."

* * *

><p>Elsa invited Lionel and Luke to supper. Lionel sat next to his son, Kristoff sitting next to them. On the other side of the table, Anna sat next to Matthew in his high chair, Elsa sitting on his opposite side.<p>

"So, you can pretty much make anything out of metal, just by thinking about it?" asked Kristoff to Lionel.

"As long as its hot, I can work with it, so yes" said Lionel. "But I'm limited to metal about the size of me. Anything larger and it just doesn't budge, no matter how hot I make it. Guess my powers has limits."

"Huh" said Anna, cutting up Matthew's chicken. "I don't think Elsa has any to hers. I mean, you should have been here six years ago..." She glanced at Elsa, seeing the expression on her face, on of regret. "Oh, sorry."

"It's alright. It's history, literally."

"I heard about the winter in summer" said Lionel. "For sure I can't do anything as expansive as that."

"Aw man" said Olaf. "So you can't make summer in winter?"

"Sorry" said Lionel, still unsure how to address a snowman. "I don't think affecting the weather is something I can do. Just fire."

"It's still just as impressive" said Elsa, trying not to belittle the man.

"Yes. Well, sometimes I'm glad I have my limits" said Lionel, looking down at his food, away from everyone. There was a slight sense of uneasiness as he finished that sentence, as if recalling something. It went by largely unnoticed in the room, all except for Kristoff. He didn't say anything, but he made a mental note of it.

"Well, I wish I had some" said Elsa, continuing the conversation. "Would have been a blessing growing up."

Elsa took another bite of her dinner when the door to the dining room opened, revealing Jase.

"Sorry I'm late" he said, walking in. Laying eyes on Elsa, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest; they didn't exactly leave each other on good terms. "Thought we had a lead by the warehouses, but it was a dead end."

Turning to see him, Elsa was careful not to make eye contact; not that she was feeling bitter towards him, more of guilty. "Well, I'm sure you did your best. We'll try again tomorrow."

"That man is a sly and sneaky one" said Lionel, finishing a bite of food. "I want to thank you again for offering your protection."

"Thank you for visiting us" said Elsa. "We're glad to have you."

"Actually, if you would like, I would like to join you on your excursion tomorrow" said Lionel.

"But your leg" said Elsa. "Forget the leg, this man is trying to kill you. You should stay within the castle."

"Hey, I can ride can I? Besides, I might be able to lure him out. I've dealt with him many times before."

"It might work Elsa" said Jase. "I'll stay by him of course, but if it will get him out of hiding faster, I think it's worth it."

Elsa turned to Jase briefly, considering this move. "Well, if you can keep him safe... Alright."

"Can I come with you Pa?" asked Luke.

Lionel chuckled, rubbing his son's head. "Sorry son. Maybe next time."

They continued on talking amongst themselves for a short while. Finally, dinner ended and they retired for the night.

* * *

><p>Wes slept soundly in his bed at one of the local inns... well, Wes normal anyway. Wearing red pajamas, his mask still on, he tossed and turned, somehow managing to turning body around counter clockwise as he slept, his head hanging over the side.<p>

"Argh... Flabber gasket..." he mumbled in his sleep. "...Come back here... you blue... dog thing..." He started swinging his fists in the air, fighting some invisible foe in his sleep "...wait... you're no dog!..." He then rolled over, falling out of bed, slamming against the floor, waking him. "What the?! Where'd that six armed dog thing go?... Oh wait, was that a dream? Right, must have been a dream." Slowly and sleepily, he got back up, cracking his back. He lazily climbed back into bed, when his eyes shot open. He sniffed the air, then licked his finger and held it up, sensing the breeze, if there was one.

"He is near, I _sense _it" he said slyly.

* * *

><p>Standing on the edge of the fjord at the edge of the city, the hooded Assassin stared at the castle, monitoring the guards. This was light, refreshing even on this warm summer night. He was ready to enter, to collect his bounty, then move on to the next. But he had to wait for something first; he wouldn't act until he received word from his employer.<p>

Finally, his only friend returned from his journey. A small falcon, built more for speed than power, called softly in the night sky. Holding his arm out, the falcon landed on his arm, a letter tied to its leg. Stroking the birds neck softly first, he reached for and removed the note. He unfolded it and read it. After reading it, he snorted, not happy about the news. He would not be hunting his prey tonight. He crumpled it up and threw it behind him, hitting the ground.

He stared out into the fjord for a few more minutes. The bird on his arm grew agitated, scolding quietly behind him. Sensing what his bird already knew was there, he turned to find Wes, still in his pajamas, his hat on and his swords strapped to his back.

"Your bird's a real blabbermouth, you know?" said Wes, standing his ground. "Now, are you going to come quietly, or are we going to have to "dance" as the French say, or do the British say that?"

The Assassin just stared. Without a word, he turned and ran to the right, fleeing into town. The falcon took off and followed. Wes rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Not again!" he exclaimed, running after him. The Assassin was quick, but so was Wes, zig-zagging through the now empty streets, minus the few random passersby's. Seeing Wes still on his tail, the Assassin turned into an alley. Wes turned into it, but he was gone, the alley splitting into three possible directions. Thinking quickly, he ran down the middle one. After passing a few blocks, Wes realized that he got skunked.

"Gosh dangst it!" he yelled, throwing his hat down. "Again! I've been after that ghost for months now and what do I have to show for it! Absolutely nothing!..." he looked down to his feet. "And I lost a slipper! Now I got to find that, _and_ this guy! Come on Life! work with me here! I'm just a man!..."

He continued to mumble and complain to himself as he stomped over where he ran. Finally, making it to where he first met the man, he found his slipper.

"There you are!" he said, picking it up and slipping it back onto his foot. As he was about to return to the Inn, something caught his eye. There was a crumpuled up piece of paper lying on the ground. For some reason, something told him to pick it up. He did so, un crumpling it and reading the contents to himself.

"Wow... WOW! Oh, I bet Madam Ice, Fire Lord, Feisty Pants, Sir Competition and Mountain Man would like to get their hands on this!" he exclaimed, running back to the castle.

* * *

><p>After taking care of Matthew for the night, Anna was ready for bed, but Elsa had other plans. Insisting they talked, Anna left Matthew in Kristoff's care and walked to the gardens with Elsa.<p>

"Sorry I'm keeping you from bed, but we haven't had time to talk in a while."

"Oh, no problem, really" said Anna sleepily. "At least I wasn't asleep yet. So, what's up?"

"Oh, I've just had a lot on my mind, what with Mr. Leewell and his predicament."

"And the fact he can make fire come out of his hand."

"Yes. He's a very interesting man" Elsa said, a faint smile on her face. "But, it's actually another man I need to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's Jase. Something, happened, between us."

"What? Something happened? Did he do something stupid? Cause if he did I'll..." Anna was already pounding her fists.

"I almost kissed him" Elsa said quickly, throwing it in there.

"Knock him in the... wait what?"

Elsa nodded.

"How do you almost kiss a guy?... Don't answer that. Just, give me the details. Are you back together?"

Elsa shook her head. "Anna, I'm not sure if I'll ever get back together with him."

"What do you mean? You, you love him, right?"

"I... I don't know. I just don't think I could ever get married." Elsa turned around, frustration in her voice. I'm not like you Anna, and I wish I was. You have such a clear look on love. You may not think it but you do. Me, well, it took me thirteen years to find out what love could do. Whenever I think of being with Jase, like, forever, I can only feel dread, anxiety."

Seeing a nearby bench, Elsa walked over and sat down. "I'm torn, Anna. I don't think I can do this, and I can't make him wait anymore."

Anna sat next to her. "Elsa, what are you going to do?"

Elsa looked up. "I don't know. But I have to make a decision soon."

They were quiet for a minute longer, Anna trying to think of some words to ease Elsa's fears.

They were both interrupted when they heard someone grunting.

"Do you hear that?" Anna asked.

"Yeah" said Elsa, snapping out of her thoughts, now on edge. They heard it again, the a scream.

"Yaaaah!" yelled Wes as he fell over the wall next to them, hitting the ground with a thud. "That hurt."

"Ahhh!" screamed Anna, jumping behind Elsa. "Kill it! Kill it with ice!" she screamed, not seeing who it was. In response, Elsa shot ice up from the ground, trapping Wes in spirals of ice.

"Ow! hey, watch the ice!" he screamed.

"What the, Wes?!" exclaimed Elsa, thawing the ice. "What are you doing here?!... and what are you _wearing_?"

Wes stood before them, sopping wet from the fjord, still in his pajamas, which had faces of a cartoonish, smiling mouse stitched into the fabric. The mouse for all intensive purposes could be drawn using three circles. The same face was stitched onto his slippers.

Momentarily embarrassed, he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're door men were jerks and wouldn't let me in, I was on a "Keep out" list apparently. But it was really urgent so I had to swim over here. man I miss my transportation capsules..."

"Wes, just tell us what was so important that you had to break in, again!" said Elsa, annoyed.

"Oh, right. I found our Assassin friend..."

"You saw him?! Where did he go?"

"Don't know, he got away, but he dropped this, and I figured it would be important..." he pulled the damp paper out from his pocket. He handed it to Elsa, who snatched it up. Holding it over so Anna could read, she read out loud.

_Do not engage Lionel Leewell until further notice. _

_I am coming to Arendelle myself to oversee his surrender._

_Stand by for further instruction._

_-The Duke_

* * *

><p><strong>In all the Fanfictions I've bee reading, the Duke is always considered to be the leader of Weselton. I don't know much about duchies or royal succession, but I pictured the Duke as being in second in command to somebody, like he was more of a representative more than a leader, but still holding immense power. So, I made him the uncle of the King (Yes, I know, the uncle is always the bad guy in films involving royalty. Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.)<strong>

**jj12: And that is why I wear this metaphorical bat-mask on the internet, to keep people from turning my insides to caramel!**

**four: Um, I kind of explained that Jase was knighted in his old Kingdom of Kalamar by his father, the Steward. If it's that important to you, I could write up a one shot to be more specific... actually, that is an excellent idea! Let me get to work on that! **

**Neslon: In regards to "Frozen: a sequel" by PinkLed5, please respond to my reviews in that story. I don't want to confuse anyone here. **

**Let me know what you think. I tried to get this out as quickly as possible, so I apologize for any errors.**

**-Batman**


	9. Something Hidden

Chapter 9

Something Hidden

* * *

><p>"He was right outside our front door" said Elsa, referring to the Assassin.<p>

It was morning now, and Elsa called a emergency meeting first thing. There wasn't even time for breakfast as she had her guards bring her family and her council members to the council room. This was getting serious now; there is defendant proof now that Weselton is involved, and the Duke would be coming, and she needed her council for this.

"How is it some of our best scouts and guards found no trace of him, and some random bounty hunter is the one to find him?" asked Andar, the head councilman.

"It think it was more of luck" said Jase. "Though he has been on his trail longer than we have, and he has his, methods."

"I'm more concerned about the note he found" said Lawrence, one of the other council members. The note was placed on the table for all to see. He held it up, getting another look at it. "According to what it says, the Assasin was asked to stand down while the Duke would come here himself."

"If it is the Duke" said Antony, another council member.

"What do you mean 'if'?" asked Anna. "He practically signed it... Oh wait, he did!" She pointed to the note in Lawrence's hand. "See, right there, "the Duke."

"Yes, but not "The Duke of Weselton." Unfortunately, this won't hold up in court, there are literally hundred of dukes out there from numerous kingdoms. And there is no seal, so it could be a claimed as a forgery."

"But who else would want Mr. Leewell dead so bad?" asked Elsa. "And if Duke Archibald does indeed arrive soon, this will only confirm our suspicions."

"Why would he come?" asked Lawrence. "It's not like he's welcome here, and he knows it. He's been banned from stepping foot on our shores."

"I think it's simple really" said Andar. "Unless he plans to come in secret, which makes no sense strategically, he's coming to demand we hand Mr. Leewell over to him."

"That is not an option" said Elsa. "Lionel Leewell came here seeking refuge from a very real threat, running from a man we know has prejudice against magic. By rule of asylum, Weselton cannot simply claim him."

"I understand that, your Majesty" said Antony. "But if the Duke can present a legitimate cause..."

"Legitimate!? Was it legitimate that he send his men to murder me!?" snapped Elsa. Everyone in the council leaned back, a slight chill in the air. Taking a moment to call back the cold, Elsa continued. "He's a greedy little weasel who uses words and fear to get what he wants. He's done it to this and nearly any country he has had dealings with. Well, it's not going to work here, not again... When he comes here, we're simply going to turn him away, simple as that. He has been bared from setting foot on Arendellian soil, and I plan to keep it that way."

"And if he declares injustice?" asked Andar. "We as a legitimate government are expected to show fairness, even to our enemies. Let us not forget we only know Mr. Leewell for a few days."

Elsa tapped the table. "Fine, we hear what he has to say, let him try to defend his actions. _Then_ we turn him away."

The council nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Lionel was with Gerda in the gardens with Luke, Matthew, and Olaf. Watching overhead on the walls was Frida, Elsa's snow falcon. She would occasionally fly down to keep a watchful eye out, her snow flurry keeping her cold. Below, Lionel entertained the youths by letting his fire magic dance around, much to Matthew's delight. Luke, however, was used to these flames, and decided to explore the gardens more. Gerda was cautious of the fire at first, afraid it might burn Matthew, or melt Olaf for that matter, but she felt almost no heat coming from the fire, like it kept the heat to itself, not lashing out as in a natural flame.<p>

Moments later, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Jase found them, Frida immediately flew to Elsa, landing on her shoulder.

"Hey girl" Elsa said, scratching her chin. "What're you doing here? Keeping an eye on me?"

The bird cawed happily. Elsa giggled as she walked to Lionel, watching the flames dance around, Matthew and Olaf chasing them in delight. Elsa couldn't help but feel a ping of jealousy, seeing her nephew and godchild finding fire magic more interesting at the moment. The moment Elsa opened her mouth, however, Lionel turned, ending the fire show.

"Aww" said Matthew and Olaf in defeat as Anna went to hold his Matthew's hand. "But it was so warm" said Olaf.

"Thank you Gerda" she said, then turned to Lionel. "And what do we say to Mr. Leewell?" she asked Matthew.

"Th-thank you!" he said.

"Your welcome" said Lionel. At that, Anna led Matthew away while Elsa walked up to Lionel.

"How is your leg?" she asked.

"Better" he said, extending his leg as proof. "I'll be as good as new in no time!"

"That's good news" she said. "We, we have some news. We've received word that the Duke might be coming here himself." As she said this, Lionel's eyes went wide. "It would appear that he heard we are giving you asylum here... He'll have his say and then we'll send him away, and hopefully he'll finally leave you alone."

It was clear to all that Lionel was greatly troubled by this, especially the latter part. "You're going to let him _talk?_" he said, hoping that his anger would go unnoticed.

Elsa and the others did notice, however. "Well, yes. We have to. Whether I like it or not, Weselton is a legitimate government." As Elsa said this, she could see the distress on his face he was clearly trying to hide, his eyes darting around. "But it's just a formality. Once we've heard his fair share of lies, he'll be asked to leave. You and your son will be safe, I promise."

Lionel let out a breath. "Al... alright. That's, good news. Thank you. I... I should go find my son now" he said, turning away and walking further into the gardens. His eyes were still wide, unfocused on anything in particular. Seeing him unnerved, Elsa turned to Jase and Kristoff.

"He looks like he just saw a ghost" said Elsa.

Jase nodded. "Either he's paranoid, or, he has something to hide" said Jase.

"What?" asked Kristoff.

"You saw how he reacted. Something about the Duke coming shook him up."

"Well, sure. I would be afraid at what he has to say too. Just look how he threw everything out of proportion six years ago. The guy like to weasel his words around."

"No, it's not that. He seemed, afraid, like, guilty even."

"Guilty?" Elsa asked, shock in her voice. "What, you think he's hiding something?"

Jase was taken aback. Judging by the tone in her voice, he was afraid to answer. "Uh, well, not necessarily."

"Jase, the man has been running with his son from an assassin sent by a man we know has a prejudice against magic. What do you think he could be hiding?"

Jase shrugged. "I, I don't know. It's just the way he was acting just now. It felt, off to me."

Elsa crossed her arms. "Right, sure, because you know people so well" she said, glaring at him. "The man has every right to be worried without judging eyes on him."

"I'm just saying..."

"I've been where he's been, Jase! I might not have had to run for months at a time, or constantly look over my back, but I know what it's like to be hunted down by men with my head in their sights!"

Jase remained silent, while Kristoff took a step back.

"Now, I don't want to hear any more about it, understood?" she asked sternly. Without waiting for an answer, she walked away, back into the castle. Jase traded a glance with Kristoff.

"You see it too, right?" he asked. "I'm not crazy?"

Kristoff looked back into the garden, contemplating his thoughts. Hesitant at first, he spoke. "There was something at dinner last night I noticed. When Elsa wished her powers were less powerful, he said that he wished likewise. Then just looked down, the same way a kid does when his conscience is bothering him."

Jase nodded. "Kristoff, how do you feel about Lionel? Do you feel like your family is safe around him?"

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah. Sure, we've known the guy for less than a week, but he seems trustworthy, and I trust Elsa's judgment. She usually takes a little longer to learn to trust in people, and she seems to be warming up to him well" he said, finishing in an upbeat tone.

Jase nodded, somewhat uncomfortably. "Yeah, sure."

"Still, looks can be deceiving... We should probably keep an eye on him, just in case."

"I agree. Let me know if anything comes up."

"Will do." Both men turned to walk away, but a thought stopped him. "By the way, how are you two, Elsa and you?"

Jase stopped in his tracks. "Honestly, I'm not sure...", Without turning around, and before Kristoff could ask a follow up question, he continued on.

Kristoff, feeling that he just stepped into uncharted territory, respected Jase's privacy and went to check up on Anna and Mathew, while Jase went to the docks to let the harbor master know of there possible "Guest".

* * *

><p>Lionel walked through the gardens, just wanting to be alone. He was breathing heavily, worry and anxiety flowing through his system. His body shook with fear, fear of revelation. He didn't even realize the nearby plants shriveling from the heat he was emitting. The palms of his hands began to glow red, which he hadn't even noticed. He walked on through, feeling dread from what he had just heard.<p>

"No, they won't believe him, would they?" he asked himself. "What if he found evidence that I was there? No! No, there is no way he could prove definitely that it was him. Everyone will see it as a lie. He lies all the time anyway. They have to believe me." He thought to himself. The secrecy and the lying was killing him inside. he hated it. But he had to. His son needed him...

"Pa?" asked Luke from behind, knocking Lionel from his thoughts. He had found his father holding onto a tree, looking down and panting."Pa, are you OK?"

Lionel turned, seeing his son stand before him, confused. "I'm, I'm fine son, why do you ask?"

Luke just nodded to the nearby plants. The leaves were still green, but wrinkled and lifeless. That was what happened when leaves were burned rapidly when still green.

"I just, I was just thinking about your mom. Sorry, I lost control of my emotions there."

Luke nodded, understanding fully. His father didn't loose control often, but when he did, he was usually pretty shaken up. This has happened more than once in the last few months, though he always assumed that he was just stressed from being on the run. "I understand. Um, miss Gerda said it was time for lunch."

"Oh, alright. I'm coming" said Lionel, forcing himself to get over his panic attack. He had to keep this from his son. He must never know what he did to avenge his wife.

* * *

><p>Duke Archibald and his nephew King Gerbhard had been at sea for a day and a half now.<p>

"How much further?!" asked the Duke to the captain.

"We should arrive in Arendelle by tomorrow evening" said the captain, indifferent to the Duke's mood.

"It didn't take so long last time!"

"Sir, Arendelle has always been three days by boat. It always has been and it always will be."

"Are you calling me a liar!?"

"I didn't say that, though your concept of time is a little off."

"What did you say?!" screamed the Duke. Unlike most of the men in his nephew's kingdom, he couldn't easily fire captain Jim; he was Gerbhard's childhood friend, one of the few people the Duke couldn't touch.

"What's going on up here" asked Gerbhard, coming to the bridge.

"This _friend _of yours is giving me a hard time, nephew!" complained the Duke.

Jim laughed. "Just jesting with the man. It's good to laugh on the open sea. It brings luck."

Gerbhard smiled. "Well, it won't be long uncle. We'll be there soon enough."

As Gerbhard walked forward to speak with the captain, the Duke sunk back, letting them talk. Casual talk was not something he found interest in, not when business was so much more productive.

The next day, he could finally put his revenge into motion.

* * *

><p><strong>The plot thickens... <strong>

**Guest: Yes, I did make a mistake with the ages. Fixed it, thank you for pointing that out.**

**Kathy22334: Thanks for the clarification!**

**Wanli8970: It's an idea, but I have a lot of work to do before I even get to that point. I'll let you know.**

**For all those interested, I wrote a one-shot featuring Jase's back story in response to "Four's" review. It's in my one-shot series if you want to read it.**

**Also, did you notice the change from numbers to roman numerals in my titles? Thought it was a time for change.**

**Anything else... Oh, did anyone see the Frozen Fever trailer? It's out! While there are some bits I'm looking forward to (Marshmallow's ultimate fate, Anna _finally _getting that bike ride through the halls (hundreds of fanfiction one-shots just became cannon), and Elsa apparently able to make _any_ type of dress color out of ice... the science behind that is a bit iffy, but then again, it's magic****), I have this bad feeling its going to be pretty campy.**

**I don't know, maybe it's me. I was wrong about the original Frozen, and this is the same guy who through a tandrum when it became official that the raptors in "Jurassic World" were tamed and drove my family nuts... a 20+ year old guy throwing a tandrum, not pretty. (To see my initial reaction, check out my Jurassic World Trailer HISHE story). **

**Still, I cannot wait!**

**Wow, I rambled on there didn't I? Let me just get back to this story. Let me know if you are still enjoying this. I feel like its going dry.**

**-Batman**


	10. Lilly

Chapter 10

Lilly 

* * *

><p><em>Lionel was working on the metal tires for a set of wagon wheels for a nobleman. With the door to his shop closed, he was free to use his magic, letting him work quickly without sacrificing quality. As far as he could tell, his work actually improved in quality when he used his magic versus a forge. He was nearing completion when Lilly walked into his shop.<em>

_"Almost done dear?" she asked, bringing in a picture of water. Lionel looked up from his work, wiping the sweat from his brow. _

_"Just need to finish hardening the metal, though I could use some of that water there" he said, placing his tools down and taking his apron off. He walked over and took the cup his wife had and poured himself a cup of water. Lilly stood there, waiting for him to be done to take the cup back. She was a short woman with __her blond hair tied back with a white ribbon__. She was currently wearing a light green dress, a small bump on her belly. "Thank you my dear" he said, kissing her cheek._

_"Oh, ew!" she exclaimed, wiping the sweat he got on her cheek. "Wipe that sweat off before you go giving kisses!"_

_"My dear wife, are you disgusted by me?" he asked playfully._

_"Entirely" she said jokingly. "Now go finish up, dinner's almost done."_

_"Oh, what are we having?"_

_"Chicken and potatoes."_

_"Ooh, can't wait!" he said, walking out of the shop. Lily immediately put herself in front of him, blocking his path. _

_"Not till you clean up!"_

_Lionel looked at her with a playful smirk. "Are you telling me what to do, woman?"_

_"Woman! Why you... I give birth to your children" she looked down to her belly, "cook your meals, and keep the house spotless, and I don't want you messing it up by getting your sooty hands all over the furniture!"_

_"You mean, these dirty hands?" he asked, hugging her._

_"Lionel! You're getting me all dirty!" she cried, trying her best to contain a smile. "Stop that!"_

_Lionel only laughed. "You're smiling!"_

_"I am not!" she laughed, making a miserable job at lying. "Now look at me, I'm all covered in soot and sweat!" _

_Lionel held her more gently now. "Ah, but your still just as beautiful."_

_Lily smirked. "I love you!"_

_"Likewise" he replied, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips._

Lionel slowly opened his eyes, not wanting to wake up. It was one of the few pleasant dreams he had had in a while, allowing him to keep Lily alive at least in his dreams. Leaning up, he felt the now scabbing wound on his leg itching, much to his discomfort. Now more awake, he came to unfortunate reality that Lily would never be there to greet him. As he moved out of bed, the peaceful aurora of his dream left him as the current worries of reality kicked in. He got up out of bed, angry at himself for waking up from the last pleasant memory he had with Lily: The day before she died.

* * *

><p>The next day rolled around eventless. Lionel had kept to himself since yesterday, claiming his leg was bothering him. Luke knew better, but decided to wait till his father talked to him about it.<p>

Elsa noticed his brooding as well. Albeit she only knew him for a couple of days, he hasn't been as outgoing and talkative as he was just before she announced that the Duke was coming. This was a cause for suspicion by most people, but Elsa saw that fear before; the fear of being hunted down. For being smeared as a monster and having been hunted like a wild animal.

So, she decided that day that she would talk to him, to assure him that he had friends now, and there was no reason to worry. On her way, she passed by Anna showing Matthew the painting room.

"...And this is Mr. and Mrs. Lindberg at a party" said Anna, referring to the painting of the man and the woman in the center of the dance floor. "And finally, we have Joan. She was a brave warrior in France."

"J-Joan?" asked Mathew.

"St. Joan of Ark to be precise" said Elsa, walking in.

"Oh, Elsa. I was just showing Matty the paintings."

"I can see that. I never realized you named them."

"Oh, yeah. That was before, you know... So, I always imagined what was going on in them, what they were thinking, and it made more sense if they had names."

Elsa nodded while Matthew walked around, looking at the paintings. "I think they are more interesting with names."

"Hey, great minds think alike, huh?"

"Yes" Elsa smiled, looking at Joan, the other Joan. "Listen, I'm going to see Mr. Leewell, can you handle whatever comes up?"

"Oh, sure. Not a problem. How is our guest by the way?"

"Well, he was just fine, until he heard the Duke was coming. He seemed, really distraught after that, hence why I'm going to talk to him now."

"Hey, I'd be freaking out too. Heck, I'm a little fearful to have him here."

"_You_ are? I had two goons firing crossbows at me!"

"That's exactly why I'm afraid. He has it out for people like you. I mean, not like you, like, you're normal, I mean, not normal normal..."

Elsa laughed as Anna rambled on. " I thank you for your concern, but I've grown since then. I've fought an evil ice sorcerer, a mind controlled princess... myself! I think I can handle him this time around."

"Yes... that last one _was_ the worse of them all!"

"Anna!"

"I'm just saying, you were mean! And was the dragon really necessary?"

"Dwagon?" asked Matthew, suddenly interested. "Auntie E-Elsa made a d-d-dragon?"

"Yes" said Anna, still in a joking manner. "Auntie Elsa can make giant, ice breathing dragons, so don't make her mad!"

"You just won't let that one go will you?" asked Elsa.

"Oh, I'll let it go. You know, when I can find something else to bug you about."

"Gee, thanks" said Elsa sarcastically. "Just tell everyone I'm busy if they ask, OK?"

"Queen Anna, reporting for duty!" she said, making a mock curtsy.

Elsa smiled. "You're such a dork."

"But I'm _your_ dork!"

* * *

><p>Since his little show of his powers a few days ago, Elsa let Lionel use the blacksmith shop to pass the time, since she did not declare it safe enough to let him go out and make his own living yet. He found a random piece of metal and began pounding it, not sure what to make with it. He wasn't focusing on his craft, but rather the anger that was boiling in his heart. He was angry at the Duke, what he did to him, what they <em>made<em> him do. The future he stole form his family's future, stole Lilly's life. And he was coming to try and take him back, by any means necessary. He felt trapped. All he could do was hope and pray for things to turn out well. Then again, why would God answer his prayers? How could he be forgiven? He hurt people. No, he ki..."

"Mr. Leewell! Lionel!" cried Elsa from behind. She caught him by surprise as he spun around, gasping. He didn't realize it, but the metal in his hand had already melted through, the anvil itself turning red from the heat. He looked at the hammer he was holding, realizing that it has scorch marks on the wooden handle. Seeing that he had lost control, he dropped the hammer, trying to straighten out his leather apron.

"I'm so sorry, I lost control... Forgive me..." he sputtered out, trying to catch his breath.

Elsa raised her hand, interrupting him. "Please, do you realize how many times I froze over my room... or the entire kingdom for that matter?" she added that last part in a mutter. "Really, we're used to that sort of thing around here."

"Well, ice is one thing; it doesn't destroy. Fire on the other hand can be, devastating."

"Hey, ice can be just as bad. Not everything is waterproof when it melts, not to mention it can crack rock. And with people... that's where the real danger lies."

Lionel nodded, understanding completely. He turned slightly, back to the anvil, which was still hot. He held his hand out, reabsorbing the heat, making it cool again.

"Well, enough about that. I came here to make sure you were alright. You seemed, distraught by the Duke's impending _visit_."

"Eh, I'm fine. Just some old memories resurfacing, nothing I can't handle" he said, keeping his head facing the anvil as used fire to re-liquefy the molten metal he spilled on the ground.

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked, taking a step forward. "I just want to assure you that nothing will happen. You have nothing to fear..."

Lionel placed the hammer down. "Don't I?" he asked. He turned to face her. "Weselton is a powerful nation, their leaders are ruthless. I fled them and still they refuse to leave me alone. They are persistent, all because..." he paused, rethinking his choice of words. "Because I'm different from them."

"And I understand that" said Elsa. "But they won't take you away from your son, I promise that."

Lionel crossed his arms. He was looking down, nodding in response, but not entirely in agreement.

"Lionel, forgive me for asking, but... what happened to your wife?" Lionel's eyes shot up, making Elsa feel like she had overstepped some bounds. "Wow, what's wrong with me? I shouldn't have asked that, I'm sorry" Elsa immediately replied, fumbling to get the words out.

"No, no it's alright. I just, I never really talked to anyone about it, other than my son."

"You don't have too, really. That's a personal matter..."

"No, really, I want to. Please, sit down." He pointed to one of the chairs while he pulled up a wooden box to sit on.

"It was three years ago, during a fall day. I had just finished repairing a set of wagon wheels for nobleman. I woke up with cold that day, which, usually makes my powers goes awry."

"Yeah" said Elsa, referring to an incident at Anna's 19th birthday. "I learned that the hard way."

"Yeah, well, against my better judgment, I rode over to his house to deliver the wheels, not realizing the Duke was also there. I saw him as he went inside. I knew about his prejudice against magic, but I figured if I just dropped of the wheels and left, there would be no reason for him to give me any attention. I went into the stables and dropped off the wheels, then I sneezed... letting out a breath of fire. I thought I was alone; I never saw anyone. But somebody must have saw and told the Duke, because that night, I awoke to the sound of shouts and demands. The captain of the guard showed up, with about two dozen men outside my home. Without warning, they started pounding on the door, trying to break in. Breaking in without a warning meant they weren't taking prisoners. So, without another thought, I ran with my family out through a tunnel I made for such an occasion. We ran out through an ally, and I thought we were free."

"Then... Lilly and Luke were behind me, while I scouted ahead. We were half a mile ahead from those clueless soldiers. I thought we were free. Then I heard Lily gasp..." Lionel paused for a second. "I turned, seeing an arrow through her chest..."

Elsa gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.

"She was gasping there on the floor, trying so hard to breath... I looked behind us for the shooter, but I never saw his face, still haven't. He was the Assassin."

"The man who's chasing you now?"

He nodded. "That hooded monster was standing on a roof top, loading up another arrow. Without thinking, I shot a ball of fire at him. I didn't wait to see what happened next, I just picked her up and ran with Luke behind me. When I was sure we had lost him, I knelt down in one of the alleys and let Lilly rest... but it was too late... she had already died. She was three months pregnant."

Elsa shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

Lionel just continued, letting his thoughts out. "I laid her down and placed my coat over her... it wasn't much, but it was all I could do."

It was quiet in the shop. Lionel just stared down. Elsa was speechless, for the moment anyway.

"I can't take away the pain, or bring your wife back. But you have my word, I will make Weselton pay. And then you and Luke can start anew here."

Lionel looked up, trying to hid the tears building up. "Thank you, for everything you've done for us. It's good to rest and remember."

Suddenly, they were interrupted with footsteps. Running into the shop, Jase burst in, out of breath. "Queen Elsa!" he called, nearly losing his balance when the door opened more easily than expected.

"Jase?!" Elsa exclaimed. "What are you doing? What is it?"

"I..." he paused, seeing Lionel in the room. A sudden feeling overcame him, seeing them in the room together. Dismissing the thought, he continued. "...I just came back from the docks. A Weseltonian ship just sailed in."

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, I hate writing sad stuff! I'm so depressed, I need to watch some senseless action movie... Transformers it is! I plan to flesh out Lionel's past in future chapters, so if you have questions, just be patient. A new waves of tests are coming in, so just hang in there.<strong>

**I have a new poll up: Who do you ship Elsa with? I'm not a big fan of "shipping", especially after my highschools "Twilight" phase (shudders), but seeing now two people, Kathy22334 and jj12, are already shipping, the latter making threats, I figured I see where my characters are standing. **

**The results won't affect the final outcome, as it is already set and ready to begin Frozen VI. **

**-Batman**


	11. Council With the Duke

Chapter 11

Council with the Duke

* * *

><p>"Land Ho!" called captain Jim from above. Rushing up from the lower decks, the Duke and King Gerbhard were relieved to see the shores of Arendelle up ahead.<p>

"Ah, Arendelle" said the Duke. "At long last, I return."

"I can see why such a small country has been independent for so long" said Gerbhard, examining the landscape. "Only a fool would attack such a well defended castle. What with the mountains to the north and the narrow fjord."

"Yes, yes" said the Duke dismissively. "And who knows how many secret sorcerers have played a hand in keeping it that way. Do not let its beauty sway you, nephew, within those walls lies a great and powerful danger, far to horrid to behold."

Gerbhard looked to his uncle. "I take it the same applies to its queen?"

"Oh yes. She is a beauty, but that is only a guise for the cold, feeling-less monster inside..."

* * *

><p>"Anna! Where is my crown?!" Elsa called frantically, flipping through dress designs as she conjured them onto her body.<p>

"Oh, right here!" said Ann, running in, trying to rub drool off the crown. She handed it to Elsa, who held it cautiously at the tips of her fingers.

She looked at it with disgust. "What on earth...?"

"Yeah, I might have played around with Matty for a bit, and he thought it was edible... Yeah. I cleaned it up, mostly anyway."

Elsa ignored her as she froze the drool, then let it disintegrate in a flurry of magic. Putting it on her head, she looked back to the mirror. "Anna, quick, does this say intimidating?" she asked, referring to the dress.

She was wearing a variation of her coronation dress, though with shorted sleeves and ice blue highlights on the rosmaling. Her hair was in a light bun, a section of her hair allowed to hang of the back, trying to make herself look as regal as possible.

Anna looked her over. "Well, the skirt is a little bare..." Responding almost instantly, Elsa flung her hands down, shooting dark blue streaks down her dress. "...A little darker..." And other fling of magic. "There! Should scare the living daylights out of him!"

"And hopefully send him running back to Weaseltown" Elsa responded.

Knocking on the door, Gerda poked her head in. "The ship has docked, your majesty. Councilman Andar is ready."

"Thank you Gerda. Tell him I'll be down in moments" said Elsa. Straightening her dress, she turned to the door. "Alright, are you ready to go?"

"Matthew's with Olaf and I just finished getting Kristoff into some formal clothing."

"Excellent." She turned to the door. "Well, here we go..."

* * *

><p>Walking out into the courtyard, Elsa was joined by Anna, Kristoff, and Head Councilman Andar. Andar and Elsa would speak alone with the Duke, hopefully able to just legally send him away. Elsa saw Lionel holding his son's shoulders by the gate, looking nervous. Before continueing to the main gates, she went to the side to see him.<p>

"Don't worry. He'll be gone before you know it."

Lionel gulped, nodding. "Thank you, you're majesty." It didn't take a thermometer to know that it was hotter than usual outside.

Down at the docks, Jase, Isaac, and several guards stood waiting, keeping a hawk's eye on the Weselton ship. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Andar finally arrived, where the Duke was waiting on the deck of the ship, with the King behind him. After a moment to notice the crown, Elsa's eyes widened.

"King Gerbhard is here?!" she asked no one in particular.

Kristoff shook his head. "Isn't it a little strange for the King to be here for a criminal?"

Elsa looked back briefly at Jase, not knowing why at the moment, not realizing it was for emotional support. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the ship. "Alright, let's get this over with. Are you ready Andar?" she asked Andar.

"Yes, your Majesty" he replied.

Quickly, Elsa and the much older Andarwalked forward, meeting the Duke and the King on the gangplank. Standing behind them were the Duke's loyal bodyguards, the same ones who tried to kill her so long ago. Trying not to look at those faces, she kept her eyes on her guests.

"Duke Archibald, and King Gerbhard" Elsa greeted, though not with glee. "May I need remind you that all members of the Weselton royal court has been barred from entering our kingdom?"

The Duke smiled, though not out of pleasantness.

"We are aware of this" said Gerbhard. "But it was paramount we come to ensure justice is carried out."

"And are you also aware that the man you seek to carry out justice against, Mr. Leewell, has been given sanctuary in Arendelle?"

"And are you aware that he has the ability to set fire to your castle at will?" said the Duke.

"I think I can handle a little fire..."

"Ladies, gentlemen, please" interrupted Andar. "Perhaps we should get down to business?" he asked, looking at Elsa, whom he could tell was getting ready to get into a firefight with the Duke.

She nodded. "Yes... of course." She turned to the Duke and Gerbhard. "I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing, but Mr. Leewell has told me about his troubles in your kingdom, and according to the law of asylum, I don't have to hand him over to you. I humbly ask that you leave and call off your assassin."

The Duke, however, smiled deviously. "I heard of this assassin, but rest assured that he acts not under my accord. Mr. Leewell must have made enemies elsewhere."

"And how do you explain this?" she asked, holding out the confiscated note, a senses of confidence in her voice. Nothing would please her more than to watch the Duke panic. "This was taken during the assassin's escape, and it is signed "The Duke", who according to the note, was scheduled to arrive soon, just as you have."

"Such paper evidence, especially taken from a known criminal is null and void" said the Duke immediately, as if expecting this. "It does not hold to itself as legitimate evidence."

"Maybe so, but you and I both know it was you" Elsa said with confidence, looking directly at the Duke. He knew that she knew, but he didn't care, as she couldn't prove anything.

"Are you accusing us of such criminal acts?!" asked the King.

Elsa didn't answer that, assuming that he was in on it and was just bluffing. "Mr. Leewell will be of no more trouble to Weselton" continued Elsa. "So why not just leave, and we can put this whole thing behind us." For a moment, she felt that she had beaten them. All she wanted was to end this and return to life as usual.

But alas, the Duke simply smiled, much to Elsa's disappointment.

"Well, as much as I would love to return to my own country and away from this cursed land, I'm afraid that I have a right to have our case heard before an open trial."

"An open trial?!" asked Andar. "You must be joking! Why would Arendelle ever agree to such a thing?"

In response the Duke confidently took out a piece of parchment from his coat. Clearing his throat, he read it. "'Under Article 9, Section 12 of the International European Summit of 1736...' attended by your great-grandfather I might add" he added smugly. "And I quote, 'In regards to sanctuary, if a citizen guilty off or suspected of a crime feels that the law of his or her country has treated him or her unfairly, then he or she may seek sanctuary in another country.'" He raised his finger to draw attention. "But, 'If the ruling class of his or her country of origin wishes to pursue justice against him or her, even if the two nations are not in allegiance with one another, then an international trial must be held. A judge of a neutral country, as approved by the ruling classes of both nations in question, must both oversee and provide a verdict, by which both countries must apply by."

When he was finished reading, he held the paper out for Elsa and Andar to read. Quickly grabbing the parchment, Andar took out his reading spectacles and began reading the parchment. Re-reading the parchment over, he frowned.

"Most countries have forgotten of that ancient summit, so I don't blame you for overlooking such a loophole" said the Duke smugly.

"You can't expect us to hold to such an outdated agreement?!" declared an outraged Elsa. "Kingdoms have risen in fallen in that time, it can't be expected to still apply! No one has called upon this in decades!"

"Ah, but I have read over the original agreements, and no such dismissal of the agreements was specified, even after a participating nation has fallen. Both the signatures of Weseltonian and Arednellian royalty are on that document, and thus we are both bound to it."

Elsa frowned as she re-read the paper in front of her. It was true. Many of these old laws regarding international justice were usually forgotten. Many new summits and laws were made in their place, making them null and void. This one was different. It adhered specifically to what the Duke wanted, and not even the new laws of sancturary could refute it. It was a little known loophole, and the Duke had exploited it.

How could this have ended so badly today? She walked in with overwhelming hope that Weselton would be gone and out of her hair by the end of the day, but now, their predicament was looking more and more complicated. Not willing to show defeat, Elsa glared back at the Duke and King.

"And you wish to hold Lionel Leewell to court? For the same reasons you sent two men to murder myself?"

"How dare you!" shouted the king. "My uncle was only acting under the best interest of everyone present! You were effectively sentencing your own people to death!..." He stopped when the Duke traded a glance, as if to say "let me do the talking."

The Duke looked back to Elsa. "While I assure you Weselton's position on sorcery remains the same, Mr. Leewell is suspected of not only sorcery, but also arson of one of our warehouse district and murder of two innocent laborers."

"Murder?" snapped Elsa. "Like how his wife was murdered?"

"We had nothing to do with the unfortunate death of Mrs. Leewell" said Gerbhard. "We found her body with a privately made arrow, not one used by the royal guard. That doesn't dismiss his crimes."

"Like it or not, Queen Elsa" said the Duke. "We have a legitimate claim to seek justice against the man. If you wish to dishonor the law, be warned that our common allies won't be too happy about it. You can expect repercussions."

He was right. If Arendelle refused, they would technically be breaking an international agreement, no matter how old it was, Arendelle's allies would most likely take Weselton's side. She was facing failed alliances, possible cuts of trade that Arendelle needed, or worse still, war. The latter was an extreme for this particular issue, but Weselton would exploit it to whatever end, and she knew it. Despite being the undeniable ruler, even a Queen had to adhere to the law.

"Very well" Elsa said is disgust in her voice. "Arendelle will honor the rights of Weselton..." Lord knows how much she wanted to say 'Weaseltown', "...and hold a trial."

"Splendid!" said the Duke. "Now, we will need a place to stay" he smugly added.

Elsa thought about it. _No way_ was he going to stay in the castle, and the option of even one of the finest hotels was an insult... to the hotel. The old Weselton embassy was vacant, though it was kept up in case of a possible use for it.

"The Weselton embassy still stands. If you don't mind staying in your ship till tomorrow, we will have it ready for you."

"That's, _acceptable_" said the King. "Then we will meet again to discuss the judge to oversee the trial and a date. Does tomorrow sound satisfactory?"

Elsa nodded. "Tomorrow it is."

"Excellent" said the Duke, clapping his hands. "I'm so glad we could reach an understanding!"

"As am I" said Elsa, forcing herself to keep her queenly manners up. "Then we will retire until then. I will send a messenger when the embassy is ready."

"Agreed, your Majesty" with that, the Duke and King bowed while Elsa curtsied.

They went back into the ship, while Elsa and Andar walked off back to where Jase and the others stood waiting. Anna was the first to run up.

"So, did you sent them packing or what?" she asked happily, believing victory to have been achieved when they walked back into the ship. Her smile frowned when she saw Elsa's face.

"We need to get to the castle and pull out all the legal documents" she said to everyone. "We've got a lot of work to do..."

* * *

><p><strong>Was it really going to be that easy? <strong>

**Thanks too all of you who have shown interest in my pairings. Right now, between the poll, which is on my profile page, and the reviews, Jase is the most popular choice. While I don't believe romance is central to a good story, I have to agree that it plays a slightly larger part in this than in all my other stories. I'm not announcing anything, so just hang in there till the end.**

**Also, last chapter saw the biggest number of reviews for any of my stories at 10! I love you guys! **

**SnowQueenElsaOfArendelle101: I got that beat! (Cracks knuckles) I've captured three alligators and dozens of sharks (one of them bit me!), and I have two shotguns, two rifles, a handgun, a compound bow, a crossbow, a crazy psychopathic macaw who responds to my commands, a Rottweiler/German Shepard mix who is a massive animal (with territory issues I might add), and a whole boatload of crazy redneck friends, all of whom follow a brotherhood code of "you take one of us, you take all of us"! So bring it on! I'm Batman!**

**-Batman**


	12. Suspicions and Assassins

Chapter 12

Suspicions and Assassins

* * *

><p>Stepping back into the boat, the Duke and the King immediately retired to the cabin.<p>

"So that was Queen Elsa?" asked Gerbhard. "I was expecting someone of her reputation to be more, _frightening_."

"That is her trick!" said the Duke. "She makes you think that she's this fragile little beauty, and then she strikes!" he shouts, chopping his hand through the air as if reenacting some martial art.

"Still, you certainly surprised her. I myself had no idea of these older laws."

"I've been planning this for over six years nephew. Arendelle is untouchable by military means and her charm were enough to dispel the rum... I mean,_ facts, _that I related to our allies. I knew we would have to use legal means to get to her. Believe me when I say I came prepared for anything."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean we're hosting a trial!" exclaimed Anna. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Jase, Andar, and the accompanying guards were walking back to the castle as Elsa told them what had happened. "Can't you just ignore the law? Say you don't know what he's talking about."<p>

"I can't say that. I saw the document myself; it had the seal of fourteen countries, twelve of them still in existence, along with Arendelle's and Weselton's seals. What I can't believe is how we could have forgotten one of our own agreements?"

"This happens all the time, unfortunately" said Andar in explanation. "The main focus for the summit the Duke is referring too was to form trade alliances, during which minor agreements are made. There are literally hundreds of clauses addressed at such summits. When we broke trade with Weselton, we broke the more recent trade agreements, but this agreement, which was never re-addressed or changed, was left unchallenged, and there for, legally valid."

"So what do we do now?" asked Jase.

"Now, we need to prepare a defense for Lionel and find a judge who will truly be impartial" said Elsa.

"How many judges do you know?" asked Anna.

"Personally, only Judge Charles in Arendelle, but it has to be a foreign judge. Impersonally, I know about five."

"I know twelve" said Andars. Before joining the Arendlle council, he was one of the region's most successful and respectable lawyers. It was his extensive knowledge of the law that led Adgar to ask him to join the council after his retirement. "Of those judges, eight can be trusted, but the Duke will have to approve as well."

"And knowing him, he already has a few lined up with bribes" said Anna.

"Then we won't agree on any judge he brings up" said Elsa. "He can't account for all the judges in the region."

By that time, they had reached the courtyard, where Lionel and his son looked to them with hopeful faces. Elsa immediately walked up to him, a frown on her face.

"Your Majesty?" he asked.

Elsa shook her head. "There will be a trail..."

"A trial?" he asked in shock. He nearly fell backwards in fright if he hadn't caught himself.

"He found a loophole in the law and, he has asked for a trail. He claims you are guilty of arson and murder."

Lionel's eyes sunk. He looked to his son, gripping his shoulder. He was too overwhelmed to say anything,

"We're not giving up. The Duke may get his way, but you're innocent of any crime. The judge will see your way, I'm sure of it."

Lionel faced Elsa's general direction, but didn't make eye contact. "I_nnocent_" he thought. If he had been completely innocent, then perhaps he had a chance. But now...

"You don't have to go through all this for me" he said, finding his voice. "We can run away again, get out of here. You have done enough as it is."

"Oh no!" said Elsa with a determined voice. "That is no life for you and your son, not with that Assassin still out there. You have friends now, Lionel..." she looked back to her companions standing behind her. "We're your friends, and friends stand by each other."

Lionel couldn't help but be surprised. "Friends?" he thought. When was the last time he had friends? Not since he left them behind in Weselton. "I, Your Majesty, I don't know what to say?" he asked.

"You can start by calling me Elsa" she replied. "You don't realize how much I prefer my real name to my title.

Not knowing what else to say, he nodded "Thank you Your M... Elsa. Really, thank you."

"You're most welcome. But right now, the best thing we can do is get ready. We will need to learn everything about what happened since they attempted to arrest you to now."

Elsa turned to face Andar. "Mr. Jensen, I know this is not your position, but can you defend him, as his lawyer?"

Andar smiled. "It's been a while, but it would feel good to step back into the courtroom."

"Then we'll have a few weeks at most to prepare a case. It will take just about that long to choose a judge and wait for him to arrive."

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, Andar interviewed Lionel, obtaining every detail he could about what happened, according to him. In short, Lionel simply recounted what he had already told Elsa, about how the Duke possibly found out, and the events that led to his wife's murder, and some minor details about their life on the run. He told him that, and nothing else. When it came time to cross examine his son, he found a similar story.<p>

"... And after that, we've been on the run" Luke finished, having finished telling a tale similar to his father. He was a bit shaken up, recounting the day his life fell apart, the day he watched his mother die, but for the most part he held together well.

"Thank, boy" said Andar, finishing writing down his notes. "And I assume the rest is just keeping away from the Weselton security?"

"Yes sir. Pa would occasionally find a place for us to stay, and I would stay there whenever he went out to get food and such."

"Mhmm. Alright son, you can go now."

Luke got up and immediately went and shook Andar's hand, catching him by surprise. "Thank you, sir, for helping my Pa."

Andar smiled. "Glad to help, son. Now, go find your father. It's late enough as it is."

Luke turned and left the room, bolting down the hall. Andar took a moment to organize his notes, making sure everything was neat and tidy. No more than five minutes later, he received a knock on the door.

"Come in?"

In walked Jase, careful to close the door behind. "Good evening Councilman."

"Sir Jase. Welcome. Would you care for some coffee?"

"Oh, no thank you" said Jase, walking to his desk. "If I have coffee now, I'll be up all night. I, um, actually came to see how the questioning went."

"Oh, very well. Both stories were very concise. We should have a strong case in their favor."

Jase took a seat. "And there wasn't anything... off, about them?"

Andar looked up from his notes, eying Jase. "Their accounts were true, especially given the Duke's prejudices. But, I take it you noticed something as well, about Mr. Leewell?"

Jase nodded. "Kristoff and I both. He's not a good liar. I don't want to go around pointing fingers, but something's off. I mean, sure he's afraid of the Duke, and he has reason to be. But I think he's hiding something else."

Andar took his time to nod. "He was clear and concise up until his wife's death. When I asked him for any details after that, he hesitated. I was a lawyer for nearly three decades, Sir Jase, and I can tell when someone's trying to hide something. You see it often in my line of work. Some are remorseless criminals, their only concern being getting away with the crime; others were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, serious crime never crossing their minds. But every now and then I see someone who is, remorseful. Guilty of a crime, but whose concern is not getting away with it, but shame that they did such a thing."

"And, you think Lionel is one of the latter?"

Andar shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. It's too early to tell, but it's clear that cards is not his game; he _is _hiding something."

Jase tapped the desk with his hand, looking to the side. "And Elsa believes him with all her heart."

Andar shrugged. "A kindred spirit I guess."

"Yeah, _kindred spirits. _That's what I'm afraid off."

"Come again?"

"What? Oh, nothing. I better get going, I have to go find Her Majesty." Without wasting another second, he got up and left the room.

"Alright, good..." the door closed behind Jase. "...bye?"

* * *

><p>His name was Wilhelm, the bearded bodyguard of the Duke of Weselton. Unable to leave the ship without his nephew missing him, the Duke sent one of his most trusted and most loyal henchmen to sneak out of the boat, swimming three docks down to avoid the Arendellian guards who surrounded the ship, and deliver a message.<p>

Pulling himself up onto the dock under the cover of darkness, he looked back to the ship, making sure none of the guards had spotted him. Should he be found outside the ship, it would bring suspicion to Weselton's intentions. Quickly, he dashed into the city, pulling a hood over his head. He darted around, looking for the most secluded alley in which to conduct business. Once he felt secure, he waited; the Duke said the contact would find him.

Keeping alert, he looked behind him, making sure he wasn't followed. When he turned back, the hooded assassin was standing before him, having made no sound in the process. Wilhelm nearly jumped back in surprise.

"What the... would you just say 'hello' like a normal person?"

The Assassin just stood there.

"Very well, I bring a message from the Duke. He wants you to get past the main gates and spy on them. He wants something he could use, to make rumors with. Report back when you've found something."

The Assassin sighed. "I'm no spy" he replied in a harsh, raspy voice. It sounded for all the world like a man with a serious throat ailment.

Wilhelm nearly jumped. This man hardly ever spoke, for whatever reason, but when he did, it would send shivers down his spine. "You do what the Duke says or he won't pay you."

"You think I do this... for money?" asked the Assassin as he stepped closer to Wilhelm. There was almost no emotion in his voice; no spite, no curiosity, not even a hint of sarcasm. It was a slow voice, carefully choosing his words. He was close enough that Wilhelm could have seen his face, had it been light enough.

"D-don't you?"

The Assassin shook his head. "Money just keeps food on the table. I do it because I enjoy the hunt, and this prey is a prize to behold. I can sense the man's fire; smell the smoke that follows him."

Wilhelm took a step back, the man's tone unnerving him. "Y-yes, but the Duke has other plans now..."

"Well tell the Duke I'm a hunter, not a fly on the wall. I care not for gossip or other such petty things. All I want is my prize..."

"And you'll get it, in due time. But if you want 'food on the table', you'll be patient."

The Assassin grunted. He hasn't been paid in a while, and though he could care less for worldly things, his complex code of conduct prevented him from stealing petty things like food. He had too much pride for that. He needed the money.

"Fine. I'll spy on the Snow Queen's family. Besides, I've always been curious to the scent of that precious ice magic…"

"The Duke wants her alive."

The Assassin nodded. "Don't worry. One should only hunt one prey at a time. I know my limits, after all, and one should never test his limits against… _legends_."

"Legends?" asked Wilhelm. Suddenly, he heard a cat holler behind him. He turned back only briefly before looking forward again. By then, the Assassin was gone.

* * *

><p>Jase finally found Elsa at the former Weselton Embassy building, where workmen and maids worked to clean and refurnish the building, formally vacant and sealed up with tarps and sheets. After years of vacancy, the dust had accumulated badly, so the maids had their work cut out for them.<p>

Jase walked in, seeing Elsa instruct one of the workmen.

"... and make sure the flues are open. All I need is for our _distinguished_ guests to find another thing to complain about."

"Yes my Lady" said the man as he went to follow orders.

"Should have just left them on the ship" said Jase walking in.

Elsa turned around to face him.

"Jase, oh. (laughs) I wish..." she turned, seeing one of the maids bring a vase of flowers in. "...Oh, no. I think he's allergic to flowers. Bring some candles instead."

"Yes, Your Majesty" said the maid as she turned away.

"That, and I think he hates all things pleasant" she joked to Jase.

Jase laughs a little. Then, he turned serious. "Elsa, we need to talk."

"What? Now?" she asked. "Jase, I'm sorry, but now isn't the time..."

"It's important."

Elsa paused for a moment. Then, she nodded, motioning Jase to follow her. She stepped aside into one of the already cleaned rooms for privacy, Jase following. "Well, alright, what's on your mind?"

"OK, listen. I know you trust Lionel and everything, but I still think we should be more cautious of him..."

"Wait, are you still worried that he's actually done something wrong?" she asked incredulously. "Jase, come on. The man has been through hell."

"I'm not saying that, and I'm not saying the Duke isn't responsible for all of this."

"Then what?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm just saying, we hardly know him, and Andar and Kristoff agree with me."

"What?! Jase, you can't just go around saying these sorts of things willy nilly!"

"I only told the, and they agree, ask them!" he asked in a voice higher than he intended.

Elsa huffed, pacing the room.

"Elsa, do you think your feelings are getting in the way?"

"Of course not! I've seen the look on his face. I had the same look six years ago when those men attacked me, when Hans and his men came down to the dungeons to kill me! What I can't understand is how you could overlook what's he's been through, what his family has been through!" she said in a raised voice.

"I'm not denying that, but have you seen the way he's been acting? When you mentioned the meeting with the Duke the other day in the gardens, he was more afraid of what the Duke had to say than the fact he was coming. Why would he be afraid if what he knows it's a lie?"

"Jase, do you realize what you are implying? The Duke is charging him with arson and murder. You're not saying..."

"I'm just saying we should be cautious with him. Keep an eye on him."

Elsa shook her head. She had a blank expression on her face. "I can't believe you! You're buying what the Duke is selling."

"Oh my gosh, I'm not buying anything! You're sounding like An..." Jase stopped himself, regretting his choice of words.

"What?" Elsa asked insistently.

"I, I mean..."

"No, what were you going to say!?"

"That's not what I was..."

"You're going to say "Like Anna"?"

"I only meant it in the sense of what happened with Hans."

"Lionel is not a Hans, Jase! He has nothing to gain from all of this! He is looking for refuge, and it is my decision to give it to him, not yours!"

There was silence for a minute. Elsa turned around, crossing her arms. Jase honestly didn't know what else to say. She kept going back to "Lionel's the victim" theory.

"Elsa, I know things haven't been, easy between us lately, but please believe me I'm only looking out for you."

Hearing his tone calm down, Elsa took a deep breath, realizing the most mature way to go about this was to do likewise. "I know you are... But that doesn't change my opinion on the matter. I trust Lionel, and that's my final word on the subject."

Jase looked down. He realized that there was no winning this.

"...And you're right, things haven't been easy between us, and despite what has been going on, I have been giving you a lot of thought."

Jase looked up with new found interest.

"I made a decision."

Jase looked at her. He shocked, not expecting this conversation to turn out like this, and yet, he was curious. But, in the end, he shook his head. "No. No, not yet."

"What?"

"I don't want you to answer that yet. You, you're stressed right now, and you have a lot to do. Don't say anything until this is all over and done with."

"Jase, I've been giving this thought long before Lionel arrived."

"But you're also distracted. I've waited three years for an answer; I can wait a few more weeks." He walked up to her, grabbing both her hands gently, taking Elsa by surprise. "Please, don't say anything now. Just, wait, till things are calm again. Please?"

Elsa felt her senses surge when he touched her. It felt, good, comforting. But it also made her feel anxious, like there were too many things to consider, like this was a life or death situation. Regretfully, she pulled herself free. "Alright. I'll wait till this is over to give you my answer."

Jase sighed in relief. "Thank you." He was truly relieved, fearing what she was about to say.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them. Neither of them had anything more to say.

Elsa began. "I should..." Elsa swallowed hard, "...get going. I have to go over the list of judges with Councilman Andar."

"Of course" said Jase as he stepped aside, letting her pass. As Elsa walked out of the room, Jase breathed in deep, groaning as he grabbed his hair. He could tell just by the tone in her voice what her answer was going to be; all he did was buy himself more time to hope.

What he didn't realize was that, just outside a window, having been cracked ever so slightly was a hooded man. The conversation wasn't loud, but he had very acute hearing for a person, and he heard it all.

* * *

><p><strong>And thus, are mysterious assassin speaks! There is more to this guy than meets they eye, so keep an eye on him.<strong>

**As I've said before, romantic drama is not my strong suit, so forgive me if I'm getting corny or clichéd. **

**Now, on a minor note: My brother convinced me to finally give "Star Wars Rebels" another chance, despite me feeling that it was grossly inferior to "Clone Wars". First of all, he was right; it does get better as it goes along. Secondly, the finale TOTALLY makes up for all the shows faults combined (Don't want to give anything away, but if you liked "Clone Wars", watch it!) and now I anxiously await season 2. All that aside I realized something. Remember how I said way back at the beginning of "Frozen II: The Snow Queen" how Jase was kind of between a Jedi and Aragorn? Well, for some reason, Kanan kind of reminds me of him. No, he's not a perfect match personality wise, and Jase would lack a goatee and a ponytail, but facial features and his straight to business attitude, he would be the closest visual representation of him. That's just me... and I am the creator, so, yeah. I am now inspired to give drawing what Jase actually looks like a shot. (My drawing skills are deplorable, so this might take a while). I'll post it on Tumbler when I'm done... as soon as I figure out how to use Tumbler!**

**Wanli8970: OK, let me see if I can explain this better. I'm writing under the assumption that the law is still technically in effect, since it wasn't ever revoked or changed by current laws. It's just that it was so long ago it was brushed over by most modern rulers, so the Duke effectively found a loophole. Hope it makes sense, and sorry if it's still a week argument; I'll try to clear that up if I can. Thanks for being honest, though! It's this type of criticism that helps me realize my own mistakes. Also, congratulations on your recent membership! Can't wait to start reading your stories!**

**jj12: A BB gun? Ha! ****I've broken several of those with my bare hand... Wait, joke book?... JOKER!**

**-Batman**


	13. A Question of Judgement

Chapter 13

A Question of Judgement

* * *

><p>The next day was time to choose a federal judge to preside over the trial, as stated in the agreement. The Duke, King, and the Weselton guards had moved into the embassy building early that morning, and the Duke insisted they get right down to business. Elsa knew he already had a few choice picks, and she only had a day. For all she knew, he had a list of twenty federal judges lined up, and a reason to refute any judge she might pick. He had the advantage.<p>

She brought with her Andar, Anna and Kristoff; she would need all the backup she could get on this, and Andar actually knew most of the foreign judges. They sat at the table in the embassy building in one of the meeting room. King Gerbhard sat on the opposite head of the table from Elsa, the Duke sitting next to him.

"... How about Judge Rugen from Florin?" asked the Duke. "He is available."

It had to be a federal judge to preside over the trial; one picked by the ruling person in his country.

"Rugen" said Elsa, buying herself some time to respond. That was one of the names Andar briefed her to avoid. "Actually, _I_ was looking at Judge Bombadil from Shireton. He has handled such cases of suspects seeking asylum before."

"Bombadil? Ha! He falsely ruled Weselton guilty of trade fraud three years ago! He's prejudice against us." said Gerbhard. The Duke sank in his chair, knowing the behind the scene activities of _that_ accusation.

"Prejudice?" asked Anna, raising her voice, getting ready to stand up. "You want to talk about prejudice..."

"Alright" said Elsa, interrupting Anna before she could say more. Anna was not happy about meeting with the Duke one bit, despite the fact that his actions were against her sister. She just hates that fact that she wasn't there to protect Elsa on that mountain.

"It doesn't have to be Bombadil" continued Elsa. "But Rugen has his own allegations. I believe he was accused of accepting bribes?"

"Allegedly!" interjected the Duke. "Allegedly bribed!"

"Still, we have our doubts about him" said Andar. "Might I suggest... Judge Pascal of Corona?"

"Isn't Arendelle in good relations with Corona?" asked the King. "That would be hard to call unbiased."

"How about France?" asked the Duke, warming up with his next choice. "France is far outside our alliances, and it has little to no relations with both our kingdoms, and Judge Frollo is a respectful man."

"Judge Frollo?" asked Elsa. That man was a witch hunter if she ever knew it. His own prejudices rivaled that of the Duke's. "You have to be kidding, he is the worst of the lot!"

"How about Judge Hudson, from Radspringia?" asked Andar. "He is a good man, I've seen him in court before."

"The doctor?" asked the King in a laugh. "Sorry, but I'd prefer a man who commits to_ one_ profession."

"Your Majesty, we've been through countless judges already" said the Duke, clearly showing impatience from the length of the meeting. "And I would like to get this trial on the way so we can return to Weselton with our prisoner" he said smugly.

"The man you are referring to will have a fair and honest trial" snapped Elsa. "And I will not leave here until I can assure that."

"Oh, it will be fare; and a guilty verdict will be reached."

Elsa could have lashed out right then and there, but she had to keep her cool _in_. She took a deep breath. "_If_, he's guilty."

"We'll see."

"What is wrong with you!?" Anna lashed out.

"The man has fire powers, Princess Anna" said Gerbhard.

"And my sister has ice powers, so what?"

"And look what she did to her own kingdom..."

"OK!" said Kristoff, trying to avoid an international incident, putting a hand on Anna's shoulder, hoping she would get the hint not to lash out. "How about we get back to picking a judge and we can all move on with our lives."

There was a moment of silence as everyone traded glances, some more harsh than others.

"Very well" said Andar. "How about, Judge Gevaarlijk , of Drusselstein?"

The Duke shook his head. No good; he was an _honest_ man. "Can I suggest Judge Cobblepot of the British Empire."

Elsa, stubbornly, shook her head. She looked to Andar for another name. Quickly, he referred to his list.

"Uh... Pennyworth, also of the British Empire?" he asked.

The Duke shook his head. "Judge Heimdall, Asgarelle" he suggested immediately.

Again, Andar reffered to the list, hoping to find a name he would agree too. "Judge Coulson, Shieldon."

"Ladies, gentlemen, we're not going anywhere!" Said Gerbhard. He had since gotten up and began pacing. "We must reach a decision soon!"

There was silence in the room, both sides reaching an impasse.

"What about Judge Marek?" asked Kristoff out of nowhere.

"Marek?" both Elsa and the Duke asked in unison. That name was not familiar to either.

"Marek?" asked Gerbhard. "Wait, I know that name..."

"He's some guy I met after a little _misadventure_ I had" continued Kristoff. Anna gave him an incredulous look; she did not know this. "Long story short, I as accused of stealing some guy's goat, and he was the presiding judge. Good guy, very understanding, and I know for a fact he's a federal judge." Now Anna was _really _intrigued.

"Oh now I remember him!" said Gerbhard, snapping his fingers. "Yes, Judge Marek of Scottsdale. I heard of a case involving a troublesome prince. What was his name? Hansel Wester...something, I think." Everyone from Arendelle knew who he was referring too. "Anyway, he handled it very expertly, not afraid of the man's position. He's a possibility."

"What?" asked the Duke. This was not one of the men he pre-approved. "But, we..."

Elsa saw her chance. "I would agree to Judge Marek!" she said swiftly.

King Gerbhard smiled. "Then I think we have finally come to an agreement" he said in relief.

"But..." said the Duke, flabbergasted.

"Then it's settled. Judge Marek of Scottsdale will preside over the trial. Now we can move on with the trial."

"I'll send the request immediately" said Elsa, wrapping up the agreements as quickly as possible before anything that could happen happened. "If we are done here, then we will take our leave."

"Yes, Your Majesty" said Gerbhard. After a few short pleasantries, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff departed.

* * *

><p>On the way back to the castle, Elsa took the time to thank Kristoff.<p>

"Kristoff, you are a lifesaver!"

Kristoff shrugged. "Just came up with a suggestion?"

"Oh, don't be modest!" said Andar. "You just solved an international incident!"

"Well, that's my prince" said Anna half heartedly, putting her arm around him. "Say, speaking of which, I didn't know you were arrested before?"

"What, that? I thought I told you."

"Oh-ha-ho, no!" Anna said, in that sarcastically jolly sort of way, the way Kristoff learned to be weary of. "I would have remembered the fact that you were arrested."

"Anna, it's nothing. Sven and I accidently stowed away on a ship and ended up there. While trying to find a way back, some crazy man accused me of stealing a goat. I was just really lucky that judge was understanding. Really, it was nothing."

"It's not nothing when I don't know about it!" Anna asked, her temper flaring. Sensing the tension, Elsa and Andar casually quickened their pace, trying to distance themselves while shifting their eyes away.

"What does it matter? Are you sure I didn't tell you about this?"

"No, and I would like to know about these things _before_ you tell it to our sworn enemies!"

"Anna, calm down. Why are you over-reacting?"

"_I'm _over reacting!" she screamed, outraged. She hadn't even considered that they were still in public. "What do you mean _over-reacting?!_ My husband has a secret life and I never knew about it!"

"It's not a secret life! It was more of a series of unfortunate events!"

"Which involved you going to jail!"

"OK" said Elsa, pulling Andar ahead. Anna and Kristoff were now in a battle of words in the middle of the street. Some stood by and listened, while others casually walked away. "You two just keep talking and we'll just get out of your way."

"OK, see you later Elsa!" said Anna, suddenly cheerful. "Tell Matty Mommy and Daddy will be back soon!" Suddenly, she turned back to Kristoff with her angry face. "OK Mister, how long were you in jail for!?"

Kristoff just sighed. She wasn't going to drop this.

* * *

><p><em>"Mornin'"<em>

_Lionel was sleeping when he was awaken by the sweetest sound. The last thing he remembered was that he was in Arendelle. But now, he was sleeping in a familiar room. He turned around, seeing the face of his late wife._

_"Morning dear" said Lilly, lying next to Lionel._

_Quickly, he opened his eyes. He realized that he was in his old room, back in Weselton. "Lilly?"_

_"Good morning honey" she answered happily. "Come on, time to wake up" she said, getting up from her side of the bed. She had on a green nightgown, her belly slightly swollen. Lionel likewise sat up, leaning up on his side of the bed._

_"Lilly?" he asked._

_"Yes?" She asked. She was fixing her messy bed hair for a moment when she noticed that Lionel was oddly quiet. "Lionel? Are you alright?"_

_Lionel looked at her again. This felt, odd, like this shouldn't be, like he wasn't really there. "Lilly? Where are we?"_

_Lilly looked at him, confused. "We're in our home. Remember? We live here, with our son, another one on the way?"_

_Lionel shook his head. It suddenly came back to him, the sights and the sound. It had to be real. "Sorry, I, I just had this weird dream..."_

_"Well, wake up from it sleepy head!" She said playfully. "The roof's leaking, and it's dripping all over the kitchen!"_

_Yep, that was Lilly, always giving him chores to do. It felt good to listen to them again; to hear her voice. "Of course, yeah, fix the roof... sure."_

_"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked with concern, placing her hand on her hip. _

_"I'm, I'm perfect" he smiled. He stood up, moving over to her. All he wanted to do was to touch her, to hold her again. Then, suddenly, faded away. "Lilly? Lilly?!" He called out. All around him, their room vanished into flame, tearing away at the room. The flames then dissipated, revealing himself on a street, where the buildings all around were burning. He could hear screaming... continuous, agonizing screaming. _

_"No, no!" he cried, trying to drive the images from his head. He pressed his hands to his ears, trying to muffle the sounds. Then, he saw before him Lilly. She was staring at him, horror struck. _

_"Lionel... why?" she asked with tears and the reflection of the fire in her eyes. "What have you done?!" she cried out in disbelief. The words stung in him. He wanted to hold her, to say something, but she just faded behind the flames that engulfed the streets. _

"Lilly!" he cried, waking up in his bed. He looked around, realizing that he was in his own bed in one of the castle rooms. To his right was Luke, still asleep in the adjacent bed. His body was shaking, and he felt cold tears rolling down his cheek.

"It was a dream" he whispered, lying back down. "Just a dream."

* * *

><p>It had been nearly a week since Elsa sent the letter to Scottsdale, asking for Judge Marek's assistance. It was a three days trip to Scottsdale, and Elsa had sent her fastest ship. To her surprise, he responded immediately and was already on his way. He was due to arrive today.<p>

At almost 12:00PM in the afternoon, the ship could be seen sailing in from the distance. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, the Duke and Gerbhard arrived to meet him. After a few minutes, the Arendellian ship made port, it's VIP stepping out onto the gang plank.

The Judge was a thin man in his mid or late thirties. He wore a grey shirt with a loose brown suit. He had thick, brown, scruffy hair on his head. All he carried as a suitcase, assumingly his cloths and minor paperwork. He was dressed oddly casual for a man of his position.

"You must be the infamous Queen Elsa of Arendelle?" he asked in European accent.

"Um, hello, Judge Marek?" asked Elsa.

"That's me, Judge James Walter Marek at you service" he replied with a bow.

"Welcome to Arendelle, your honor. I want to thank you for coming..."

"Thank me? I should be thanking you!" he said. "You just got me out of my annual family reunion... trust me, if you knew my family, you'd be on my side."

Elsa and Anna traded a glance. "I'm, glad we could help?"

Seeing one of the nearby guards, he threw his suitcase over to him, forcing him to drop his spear so he could catch it. "So" said James Marek, "is it true? You can, make ice magic?" he asked Elsa.

"Your honor" said the Duke, walking forward. "May I remind you of what she can do with her powers? It's because of magic we are even here..."

"Uh, yeah, that's why I'm asking!" he asked with a sarcastic smile. "So, can you do the magic?" he asked enthusiastically, almost childlike.

Elsa just kind of stared at him, trying to read his intentions. "If, you really want to..." Elsa held out her hand, shooting up a few specks of magic and snowflakes, trying not to show off too much, especially in front of the Duke. The Judge stared with wide eyes, holding his hand to his mouth covering an uncontainable smile.

"Wow! That is... extraordinary. Your Majesty" he grabbed Elsa's hand, placing a kiss on it. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh, thank you" said Elsa. She was slightly surprised; most people knew Elsa was shy around human contact, so she wasn't used to strangers being so forward. This supposed judge was not strict as most in his profession was. He had this oddly charismatic, yet well balanced.

The Duke, slightly angered by the attention given the Queen. "And this is His Majesty King Gerbhard of Weselton."

"Ah, your Majesty!" replied Marek with a bow. "It is an honor to finally meet you... Now, I understand the suspect in question has, similar, magical powers?" he asked no one in particular, waiting anxiously for the first person to respond.

"Fire, magic" said Elsa.

"He is guilty of arson and murder of several warehouse workers" interjected the Duke.

"That, Duke Archibald" said Judge Marek with a suddenly serious tone, "is for me to decide." The Duke was taken aback by his tone for a moment. To his misfortune, this judge appeared to be honest. "Oh well" he thought. "Only a minor inconvenience."

Almost instantly, Malek was back to his cheerful self. "Now, could we have some lunch? I am starving, and I love to try foreign dishes."

"Of course" said Elsa, almost ecstatic that he was showing no impartiality, especially to magic. "We can serve dinner in the castle."

"Excellent!"

"And if you wish you can retire to your room later..."

"Actually, your majesty, I believe it would be best if I rent a room in one of the hotels, to remain impartial of course."

Elsa nodded; she was half expecting this. "Of course. I will make the arrangements."

"Splendid. Now, let's eat!" He said enthusiastically.

* * *

><p><strong>Ladies and Gentlemen, Judge James Walter Marek. This character went through quite a bit of refinements, but I ended up with this guy. Hope you like him, especially in upcoming chapters. Is he good, bad? Is he even a good judge? Let's see.<strong>

**Now to make up for Wes's absence in recent chapters.**

**Oh, and in case you didn't hear the news... FROZEN IS GETTING A SEQUEL! HALLEJULAH! I mean, sure, that means my own stories will now be obsolete, , but who cares! The directors are returning, so that's a bonus. YEEEEHAAAAAAAAA!**

**-Batman**


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